Last Man Standing
by Sparkle731
Summary: Three young men meet at the police academy. But, in end only one of them may be left standing. Last two chapters posted. Story is now complete.
1. Chapter 1

**LAST MAN STANDING**

**Three young men meet at the police academy. But, in end only one of them may be left standing.**

**CHAPTER 1**

John Colby slouched in his chair and tuned out the instructors lecture. Pitman had to be the most boring instructor at the academy. He droned on in a dull monotone that was enough to make the most diligent student doze off. And it didn't help that he taught the class on ethics which was dull and boring to begin with.

To stay awake, Colby let his gaze drift around the room at his fellow cadets. There were twenty-two men and two women in their class section. There were four sections at the academy: A, B, C and D, and each section had 25 students. Statistically, at least 5 students from each section would either quit or get booted out of the academy before graduation. In Colby's section, Lopez was a lousy shot and one of the women, Morrison, was too high strung and nervous in Colby's opinion for police work. Matt Stiller had already been dismissed for failing two of his classes.

Colby's gaze drifted over the tall, good looking blond sitting at the front of the room. Ken Hutchinson was out of his element. He looked more like a male model than a police cadet. The poor little rich boy thumbing his nose at his daddy's money and trying to make a point by joining the academy. It didn't help that Hutchinson was a straight A student and always knew the answer to even the most mundane questions. Most of the other cadets called him the "Ice King" behind his back and avoided him. Colby tolerated him because they were roommates and pretended to be his friend.

The truth was John Colby couldn't be bothered to take the time to cultivate a real friendship with anyone. Underneath his friendly, outgoing exterior, he was a cold and unfeeling bastard who used people to get what he wanted. It didn't hurt to have a 'friend' with Ken Hutchinson's connections.

Colby's gaze shifted to the opposite side of the room and a scowl crossed his face. David Starsky was slouched in his own chair, staring at the instructor with a disinterested expression on his face. Starsky was the one cadet that Colby couldn't stand. Starsky was just too damn cocky for his own good. He was nothing but a two bit punk from New York who had used his time in the army and his connections to a decorated and highly respected police sergeant to con his way into the academy.

It didn't help that Starsky was also a handsome bastard who had a way with the ladies. They all seemed to fall in love with his thick dark curls, his flashing sapphire eyes and his rugged features. And he was Jewish which was another mark against him as far as Colby was concerned. Starsky didn't seem to take to the academics very well, but he still managed to keep his grades up enough to pass. Any cadet whose grades fell below a C average was automatically dropped from the academy.

But where he lagged behind in academics, Starsky was at the top of the class when it came to the shooting, the driving and the physical portions of the training. Colby was determined to find a way to get rid of Starsky too one way or the other before graduation. That gave him almost two months to come up with a plan.

Colby forced his attention back to the front of the room as Pitman dismissed the class. The cadets surged to their feet and left the room to get to their next class. Colby fell into step beside Hutchinson, tossing the tall blond an easy grin.

"Man, if ole man Pitman gets any duller, I'm never gonna make it through the next two months." Colby said

"He's not too bad." Hutchinson said diplomatically. "All you have to do is study the book and you can ace the course."

"That's easy for you to say." Colby shot back "That damn book is almost as boring as he is."

"At least you don't have to listen to the book." said Pete Swenson. He was another cadet who had been walking behind them and had overheard their conversation.

"Who asked you?" Colby said with a sneer. He turned his head to shoot a malicious look at the other man. Swenson was one of the cadets who hung out with Starsky which excluded him from Colby's chosen circle of friends. Hutchinson simply smiled apologetically offering no excuses for Colby's rudeness.

"Asshole," Swenson muttered under his breath just loud enough for Colby to hear him before he darted into the men's room.

Colby grinned as the two cadets continued down the hallway to their next class. At least Colby enjoyed this class. It was in interrogation techniques and the instructor was an attractive brunette in her late thirties who was built like the proverbial brick outhouse. Unfortunately she was also married and therefore off limits. Any other time something like that wouldn't have stopped Colby from trying to score with her but he didn't want to mess up his career before it even got started by letting his dick do his thinking for him.

As Colby and Hutchinson entered the classroom, Colby saw Starsky standing in the back of the room with a small group of his friends. The sound of Starsky's laughter made Colby cringe. Another thing that rankled Colby about the brunet was that he was annoyingly poplar with the other cadets. Colby had chosen his acquaintances carefully based on what he could get out of the relationship. Cadets like Starsky and his friends were beneath him.

Colby and Hutchinson settled into their usual seats and waited for class to begin. When it was over, the rest of the afternoon was taken up by calisthenics, self defense training, and two hours on the shooting range. At five o'clock classes were over for the day and the cadets had until ten o'clock that night to spend their free time as they wished. During the week, all the cadets were required to live in the academy dorms but on the weekends, the ones who lived in the city were free to leave the campus and spend time with their families.

Since it was a Friday night, Hutchinson was preparing to leave for the weekend. He was one of the few students in the class who was married. Colby had never met his wife but he had seen her picture. She was a knockout with long brown hair and big brown eyes. Even in her pictures she managed to project the image of class and breeding. The perfect "Ice Princess' suited to the 'Ice King'.

"Your old lady still bitching at you about joining the academy?" Colby asked trying to appear interested as he watched Hutch carefully hang his uniform in the closet until his return Monday morning.

"Vanessa is still not very happy with my decision but she's starting to accept it." Hutchinson said in a distracted voice as he rummaged through his closet for a jacket.

"It's about fucking time. You've been here for six months." Colby said dryly.

"Vanessa can be a very stubborn woman." Hutchinson said in a stilted voice. He seldom talked about his personal life. What little information Colby knew about the man he had learned by conning a pretty little clerk in the admissions office into sneaking a peek at the big blond's file for him. If Hutchinson's family wasn't so well connected, both socially and politically, Colby would never have tried to cultivate a friendship with the man. Not to mention the fact that Hutchinson and a younger sister were the sole heirs to the family fortune. His father was a prominent surgeon with a thriving private practice in Duluth, Minnesota.

Hutchinson wasn't the only man whose file Colby had gotten information from. That's how he knew what he knew about David Michael Starsky too. The information in Starsky's file had only reinforced what Colby had already suspected. The burnet was originally from Brooklyn, New York where he had lived with his parents and a younger brother in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood on the lower east side.

His father had been a uniformed officer with the NYPD who had never made it past the rank of sergeant. He had been killed in a drive by shooting when Starsky was 12. Less than six months later, his mother had sent her oldest son to Bay City, California to live with other family members. When he was 19, Starsky had been drafted into the army where he had spent the next three years as a sniper which accounted for his remarkable skill with a gun.

Colby prided himself on knowing the intimate details of the lives of the people around him. You never knew when some irrelevant information about someone might come in handy. Colby wasn't above using the information he learned to blackmail people if it suited his purposes.

Colby's own background mirrored that of Hutchinson. His father was a prominent criminal lawyer in San Diego. His family had money but not as much as the Hutchinsons. Colby had grown up spoiled and pampered with all the advantages that his father's money could afford. As an only child, his mother had lavished him with her attention and overlooked the flaws in his behavior. She never saw her son's cruel, vindictive side or the side of him that could be cunning and manipulative. If it hadn't been for his uncanny ability to fool people, Colby would never have passed the psychological tests required before being admitted to the academy. For underneath the façade he presented to others, John Colby was a born sociopath with no morals and no conscience.

"Have a nice weekend with the little wifey." Colby told Hutchinson with a smirk as the blond opened the door to leave the room. "Maybe you should just knock her up…give her a kid to take care of so she'll leave you alone." Hutchinson ignored the comment as he stepped into the hall, closing the door firmly behind him.

Colby grinned as he relaxed on his bed with his arms folded behind his head. He knew that he could be as crude as he wanted and Hutchinson's good breeding and manners would dictate that he ignore him. Colby wandered how in the hell the man was ever going to survive out there on the streets. He didn't have what it took to be a cop, at least not in a place like Bay City. Maybe he should do the man a favor and figure out a way to get rid of Hutchinson too. Slowly, an idea began to form in his mind. A way to get rid of them both, Hutchinson and Starsky.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Moving to a new house on April 1st so future postings may not be as frequent as usual for a week or so**

**CHAPTER 2**

Ken Hutchinson walked through the student parking lot to his car. It was a silver corvette that Vanessa had insisted on buying. Ken hated the car. It was too pretentious for his tastes. Although he had grown up in a wealthy family that could provide all the advantages that money could buy material possessions had little value to Ken. He had simpler tastes. His greatest extravagance was his clothes.

Ken dug his keys out of his pants pocket and unlocked the car door, sliding underneath the steering wheel. He shifted positions until he finally found one that wasn't awkward with his long legs. With a mumbled obscenity, he stuck the key in the ignition and twisted it. The powerful engine purred to life as he backed out of the parking space and headed for the exit.

As he merged with the other traffic on the street, Ken let his thoughts drift over the past six months that he had spent at the police academy. Quitting medical school to join the academy had been an impulsive decision that Ken had made after becoming friends with a neighbor named Luke Huntley who was a sergeant with the Bay City Police Department.

Luke's stories about what it was like out there on the streets had intrigued Ken. A police officer seemed to be in a better position to make an impact on society than a doctor did. Ken's favorite classes in college had always been the ones in psychology or sociology. Becoming a doctor and following in his father's footsteps had always been Richard Hutchinson's dream for his son not Ken's dream for himself.

Ken's life had been planned out and dictated for him by his parents since the day he was born. He had to live up to their expectations and their standards. That meant being the perfect son with perfect grades and perfect manners. That meant piano lessons, learning to speak French and Spanish, art lessons, and riding lessons. The only sport he was allowed to participate in while he was in high school was track and, later on in college, wrestling. He went to a private school where academics were stressed more than extracurricular activities. No public schools for a Hutchinson. It wasn't until he was in college that Ken realized just how sheltered his life had been.

Three years in college had opened Ken's eyes to alternate lifestyles, recreational drugs, and all the sex that he could handle. He had met Vanessa during his sophomore year and had immediately become infatuated with the dark haired beauty queen. They had fallen in love and gotten married the previous summer. It had been the social event of the season back home in Duluth, Minnesota.

Vanessa was interested in a career in the high fashion industry which was why she had moved to California from New England to study fashion and design at UCLA. On the surface, Vanessa was beautiful, charming and gracious. But, it didn't take Ken long to discover that she was also shallow, manipulative and greedy. She was obsessed with the idea of becoming a famous model and expected her future husband to keep her in the lifestyle that she had envisioned for herself. Nothing but the best that money could buy was good enough for Vanessa. Even the sheets on their bed had to have a designer label.

Ken had been content to let Vanessa take over where his parents had left off, planning their future and handling their finances. His father had sent them a substantial check each month to cover their living expenses until Ken graduated from medical school. His parents approved of Vanessa as a perfect match for their son. They often sent extra money during the month whenever Vanessa requested it for some new extravagance that she just couldn't live without.

His parents and Vanessa had been appalled when Ken decide to drop out of college in the middle of his senior year to join the police academy. His father had immediately called his son and threatened to cut off the month checks if he continued with his impulsive plans. When Ken refused to give in to his father's demands, his father had carried through with his threats and stopped sending the money. Finding an inner strength he had never known he had, Ken had stubbornly refused to back down.

Vanessa had retaliated by wiping out their bank account on a spending spree that had left them hundreds of dollars in debt. She had also refused to allow Ken to sleep in their bedroom forcing him to spend the night on the uncomfortable (but fashionable) couch in the living room of their rented condo. Their fights had increased in both frequency and intensity. Cadets were paid a wage during their training but Vanessa continued to spend money as if the monthly checks from his parents were still arriving. Finally, Ken had been forced to take her name off their checking account. Vanessa had retaliated by maxing out their credit cards and continuing to spend as freely as she always had.

Ken sighed as he maneuvered the sleek car through the usual Friday night traffic towards the smaller apartment that they had been forced to rent closer to the academy. Vanessa still hadn't forgiven him for forcing her to give up the condo. His weekends at home were always stressful but Ken had taken his wedding vows seriously and was determined to do everything he could to hold his marriage together. He just didn't know how much longer he could continue to do that. He and Vanessa were drifting further and further apart every day.

The academy hadn't exactly been what he had expected either. Ken knew that he didn't fit in with the other cadets. He was tolerated but hadn't really made friends with any of the other cadets except for John Colby. And Ken suspected that Colby's motives had more to do with Ken's academic achievements than it did with any real friendship between the two men. Colby came from the same privileged background that Hutch did so that gave them a common ground that they could relate to. Despite Colby's outgoing personality and easy charm there was something about the man that Ken didn't trust. Still, he was the closest thing to a friend that Ken had at the academy unless you counted the instructors.

Ken pulled into the underground parking garage of the tall Spanish style building that housed his apartment. The rent was still a bit on the high side but Ken had a few investments that Vanessa wasn't aware of that he could fall back on to cover the monthly expenses when he had to. Still, he would have preferred something smaller and quieter, maybe on the beach or in Venice, but Vanessa refused to live anywhere except in the mid-town area. He sighed again as he pulled into his assigned parking slot and shut off the engine, pocketing the keys as he climbed out of the car locking the doors behind him.

He walk across the pavement to the elevator and stepped inside pushing the button for the tenth floor. Vanessa had insisted that they take an apartment on the top floor for the spectacular view it offered of the city (not that either one of them was home enough to enjoy it)

Ken hadn't seen Vanessa's car parked in her usual spot so he assumed that she was going to be late again. She had found herself an agent and had been going out on some modeling assignments. Ken hoped that she would focus her attention on her fledgling modeling career instead of his decision to change his own career goals.

The elevator made a quiet, smooth ascent to his floor and Ken stepped out. There were only two apartments on each floor and the second apartment on Ken's floor was vacant. Digging his keys out of his pocket again, Ken unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped inside.

The spacious living room was decorated in various shades of Ivory and gold with heavy teakwood end tables. Vanessa had copied the idea from a magazine layout in one of her fashion magazines. She loved the way that the room looked but Ken hated it. He wandered into the kitchen and looked in the refrigerator. There was some mineral water, several containers of yogurt, a bottle of red wine, and a pint of skim milk. Ken sighed. It looked like they'd be eating out again tonight.

Vanessa couldn't be bothered with something as mundane as cooking a meal or taking care of the apartment. That was up to the housekeeper that she insisted on hiring. Unfortunately, Vanessa fired the help as quickly as she hired them. The last housekeeper had only lasted two weeks and Vanessa hadn't found the time to replace her yet.

The ringing of the telephone interrupted Ken's thoughts. Crossing over to the couch, he sank down on the off white cushions and grabbed the phone on the end table.

"Hello?" he said in a weary voice.

"Ken?" Vanessa's lilting voice said in his ear. "What are you doing there?"

"It's Friday night, Van." Ken reminded her "Remember?"

"Oh…that's right. Sorry…I guess I forgot."

"Are you going to be home soon?"

"Probably not for a few hours. I'm still at a photo shoot. I'm sure you can find something to occupy your time." Van said in a disinterested voice.

"I'm sure I can find something to do." Ken said dryly "Like going out to get something to eat since there doesn't seem to be much here."

"Honestly, Ken…" Van said in the aloof tone she used when she was annoyed with something he had said. "You know I've been busy lately. Don't bother waiting up. I'll be home when I get there." With those parting words, she hung up before Ken could reply.

With a few muffled curses under his breath, Ken hung up the phone and stood up. Before he could leave the apartment, the phone rang again. Grabbing up the receiver, he snapped,

"What?"

"Kenneth Richard Hutchinson," his mother's voice of disapproval said in his ear "Is that any way to answer the phone?"

"I'm sorry, mother." Ken said apologetically. "I didn't know it was you. I thought it was Vanessa." He wondered if his mother's censure would always make him feel like a child being reprimanded.

"Did you and Vanessa have words, dear?" his mother asked sweetly "I'm not surprised with all you've put that poor girl through with this crazy idea of yours of becoming a police officer."

"Mother, please…" Ken said with a heavy sigh. "I'm not getting into this with you again. Why can't you and father just accept that this is what I want to do with my life?"

"Because you're throwing everything away that your father and I have worked so hard to make sure that you had. Your education…a successful career...and your marriage if you're not careful."

"I'm sorry you see it that way," Ken said shortly "But this is my life and I'm perfectly capable of making my decisions."

"I don't intend to fight with you about this, Kenneth. Just tell Van that I sent her the check this morning."

"What check?" Ken asked in a startled voice.

"Why the check to cover your rent for this month of course."

"What do you mean the check to cover the rent? Our rent is already paid for this month." Ken said in a carefully controlled voice.

"Of course it is, dear. Your father and I have been paying it for the past three months every since Van told us how much trouble you were having paying everything with that ridiculously low amount of money you're making right now."

"I'll tell her, mother. Thank you for calling." Ken said, hanging up without saying goodbye. He struggled to hold his anger in check. He had believed Van when she had told him that the money she'd had lately came from her modeling jobs. Obviously, she had been lying to him and he couldn't help but wonder just what else she had been lying to him about. Checking his wallet to make sure he had enough money to buy a decent meal at a nearby restaurant, he stormed out of the apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

**A/N: Been moving all day and I am exhausted but the new house is really nice and it's really close to everything! My internet connection won't be transferred and back up and running for awhile so in the meantime I will have to bounce off other signals and not sure how reliable that will be. **

Dave Starsky and Johnny Wagoner walked out of the building in time to see Hutchinson's car pull out of the student parking lot and turn into the street

"There goes the Ice King home for the weekend." Johnny said with a smirk. He shook his head. "Man, that guy gets under my skin. What do you wanna bet that with his connections he pulls down some cushy assignment in Beverly Hills or somewhere like that?"

"Come on, he can't be that bad or he wouldn't have lasted this long." Starsky said as the two friends began to walk across the parking lot. "You gotta admit that he can handle himself pretty good in the self defense classes and he has the academics aced."

"Maybe he does but he's still a cold fish." Johnny said dryly. "He thinks he's better than us and you know it."

"Maybe that's because he is. He's had all the advantages that his daddy's money could buy. That's more than you or me ever had."

"You going soft on me, Davy boy?" Johnny asked with an arch of an eyebrow. "I ain't never seen you going out of your way to talk him."

"It ain't that." Starsky said in his best Brooklyn brogue. "He sorta helped me out once when I was in the library trying to work on that paper for Mendalton's class. I didn't even ask him too, he just kinda volunteered. And he was cool about it, ya know? He explained it so I could understand without using all them big words or anything. " His trademark crooked smile tugged at his lips. "I aced that paper too…got a B on it."

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a metallic blue mustang that roared past them. John Colby grinned through the windshield and showed them his middle finger as he tore out of the lot.

"Now that's one guy I wouldn't mind pounding into the ground." Starsky growled. His sapphire eyes narrowed as he watched the mustang disappear into the street. "He's had it in for me since day one and I'll be damned if I know why."

"He's just a fucking jerk. That's all." Johnny said "Don't let him get to you. That's what he wants…he gets off on it."

"I never said I was letting him get to me." Starsky said with a smug smile. "I just said I wouldn't mind pounding him into the ground."

"Yeah, and get yourself kicked out for fighting two months before graduation." Johnny said

"Why do you think I haven't done it yet?" Starsky chuckled as he slipped his fingers into the pocket of his skintight jeans to dig out his car keys. His car was parked near the back of the lot. It was a distinctive looking vehicle with a custom paint job. It was an older model Ford Maverick that was painted a turquoise blue with yellow flames on either side of the hood. It helped to have an Uncle who had his own used car business with one of the best car detailers in the city working for him. Starsky had done most of the body work himself and souped up the engine until it purred like a kitten. Starsky had moved to Bay City when he was thirteen to live with his Uncle Al and Aunt Rosie. He had spent every summer vacation and most of his weekends helping his uncle work in his garage until he could tear an engine apart and put it back together by himself. The car might be old but it was still his pride and joy.

As he unlocked the door, he turned to look back at Johnny. "Do you need a lift anywhere?"

"Naw, I'm just gonna grab a bite to eat in the cafeteria and then hit the sack. Maybe we could hook up tomorrow night."

"Sounds good to me. How about O'Hares around seven-thirty?" Starsky suggested.

"Great. See ya then." Johnny said. He stepped back as the Maverick roared to life and Starsky peeled out of the lot.

Starsky barely noticed the heavy traffic as he maneuvered his way through the busy city streets. He loved driving. It relaxed him when he was tired and it calmed him down when he was angry. His reputation for having a short fuse and a volatile temper had followed him throughout his life. He tended to act first and then deal with the consequences later. His impulsive nature had landed him in trouble with the law when he was younger but two years in the military and an all expense paid trip to southeastern Asia courtesy of Uncle Sam had helped to curb that impulsiveness somewhat.

Starsky's aunt and uncle lived in a small two bedroom house in a quiet middle class neighborhood. The older couple had never been blessed with children of their own so they hadn't been prepared to deal with an angry, rebellious teenager with a major chip on his shoulder. But, with patience and understanding, mixed with a whole lot of love, they had managed to bust down the barriers the wounded boy had built around his emotions. There had been more than a few rough patches along the way and some hard lessons learned with the help of his uncle's belt but Starsky had finally settled down and turned his life around.

But, a neighbor named John Blaine and his wife, Maggie, had been one of the biggest influences in the troubled boys adolescence. Another childless couple, John was a police officer with the Bay City Police Department who had taken Starsky under his wing. Starsky didn't know until years later that Al had talked to John and told him about the circumstances that had led to Starsky being sent to California.

Very few people knew about Starsky's life in New York where he had been born and raised until just after his thirteen birthday. He had lived with his mom, his younger brother, Nicky and his father, Micheal, who was a police officer with the New York PD.

They had lived in a quiet, predominantly Jewish neighborhood, in Brooklyn and life had been good to the little family.

Michael and Rachel were loving parents who raised their two sons with just the right mix of love and discipline. That all ended when Starsky was twelve and his father was gunned down in front of his own house by unknown assailants. He had died in his oldest son's arms.

Starsky hadn't known how to deal with his grief and the loss of his father. He began running wild, hanging out with a neighborhood gang and getting into trouble. When he was picked up for being out past his curfew or stealing from one of the neighborhood stores, he usually got a stiff lecture and then was escorted home by one of his father's former co-workers.

Rachel Starsky did her best but she found it increasingly harder to deal with her eldest son's rebelliousness. Finally, when he was involved in a fight with a neighboring gang and ended up in the hospital, in desperation, she had contacted her brother-in-law in Bay City about sending Starsky to live with him and his wife. They had agreed and when he was released from the hospital, Starsky had found himself on a bus headed for California.

He had hated his mother for sending him away. In his mind, it meant that she didn't love him or want him anymore which only fueled his deep seated rage even more. Mother and son had spent a few years estranged but as he grew older and matured, Starsky eventually came to realize that his mother had had nothing but his best interests at heart. She had paid dearly for her decision but eventually, they had worked things out and now they were as close as they had ever been. Starsky called her faithfully every Friday night at seven o'clock California time. If for some reason he couldn't call at the appointed time, he called her as soon as possible afterwards. The only time he had broken that routine was during his time in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam had been his own personal version of hell on earth. He had spent the last three months of his enlistment as a POW. He had finally returned home a bitter, disillusioned man who was even more filled with rage than he had been as a teenager. He had gone back to New York for a few months but that was no longer home so he had returned to Bay City. He bummed around New Mexico for two months before making the decision to join the police academy and follow in his father's footsteps.

His mother had not been happy about his decision but she wasn't surprised by it. She didn't want to lost her son to the same violence that she had lost his father to. Regardless of her own feelings, she had accepted his decision and supported it even if she didn't agree with it. Rosie and Al had also been supportive of his choice and John Blaine had even put in a good word for him with the admittance committee at the Academy who reviewed the individual applications.

Despite some of his problems with the academic part of the program, Starsky adjusted well to the training. It wasn't that much different from the army. The police department was based on a military structure that was painfully familiar to Starsky. Trained as a sniper in the Army, Starsky was at the top of his class in both weapons and shooting. He was also one of the highest ranking cadets in self defense, blending his own unique mix of military training and down and dirty street fighting. And nobody could beat him when it came to the course in defensive driving, his skills behind the wheel surprising both his classmates and his instructors.

Starsky was whistling to himself as he pulled into the driveway beside his aunt and uncle's house. Climbing out of his car, he jogged up to the front door and let himself inside. The delicious aroma of home cooking filled the air. His Aunt Rosie could be a creative cook at times but she could also cook all the traditional Jewish dishes that Starsky had eaten as a child. His nose told him that tonight she was making stuffed cabbage and Knishes which was a potato and flour dumpling stuffed with mashed potatoes and onions and then baked in the oven.

"Hey, it smells great in here!" Starsky said enthusiastically as he walked into the kitchen.

His aunt smiled and turned her head for a kiss on the cheek.

"Of course," Rosie said sweetly "I knew you'd be starving as usual." She chuckled as she turned back to her meal preparations. "How were your classes this week?"

"Same as usual." Starsky said as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out the milk. He tipped it and drank straight from the carton earning him a dirty look from his aunt.

"David Michael Starsky!" she scolded him "You know better than that. Get a glass young man."

Starsky grinned as he did as she told him. He knew she wasn't really angry with him and she knew that he only drank from the carton to tease her. He poured himself a tall glass of milk and grabbed a handful of cookies from the jar sitting on the counter.

"Don't spoil your supper." Rosie said automatically, then she shook her head and added "What am I saying? Nothing spoils your appetite."

Starsky chuckled as he settled in his usual spot at the kitchen table to enjoy his snack. The affection between Rosie and her nephew was plain to see. As she passed the table to get some plates out of the cabinet, she reached out and ruffled his dark curls causing Starsky to duck his head playfully.

"What are your plans for the weekend?" Rosie asked as she returned to the stove.

"Thought I'd hang around here tonight with you and Al." Starsky said "Maybe have a couple of drinks with some of the guys tomorrow night."

"Just make sure you get home at a decent hour." Rosie told him automatically. It was the same thing she told him whenever he went out ever since he was thirteen. She knew that her David was a man now but in her eyes he would always be a scared and angry little boy that she had come to love as if he were her own. She was proud of the way he had turned out and how much he had matured through the years.

Al came home and greeted his nephew warmly. It was apparent from the older man's appearance that he carried the Starsky genes. His thick dark curls held just a touch of gray and his sapphire eyes sparkled with life. He had the same lean, muscular build as his nephew with just a bit of extra weight showing around the middle.

Conversation during supper centered around Al's work at the garage, Rosie's volunteer work at the hospital and Starsky's classes at the academy. Rosie also caught Starsky up on the neighborhood gossip even though he came home every weekend. After they had eaten, Starsky helped his aunt with the dishes and then settled down on in the living room to watch the evening news with his uncle.

At seven o'clock, Starsky picked up the phone and made his weekly call to his mother in New York.

"Hey, Maw." He said when Rachel answered the phone.

"Davy!" Rachel said, her voice sounding as if she hadn't heard from her wayward son in months. "How are you, darling?"

"I'm fine, Maw." Starsky said with a soft chuckle under his breath. "Same as I was last week."

"Davy, don't tease your poor old mama." Rachel chided him. "How was your week? Are you seeing any nice girls?"

"No, Maw," Starsky said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm not seeing anyone right now and my week was okay."

"Mrs. Goldberg's daughter, Sarah, moved back home last week. Such a lovely girl. Maybe you can call her the next time you come to visit."

"Maybe…" Starsky said evasively. He knew better than to pursue this subject or he'd never get off the phone. A typical Jewish mother, Rachel was constantly nagging her eldest son about finding a nice Jewish girl and settling down so she could have a lot of grandbabies to spoil.

"How's Nicky doing?" Starsky subtly changing the subject to his mother's second most favorite topic..

"Oh, you know Nicky…he's always busy with one thing or another." Rachel said "He's talking about getting his own place…but I think he's too young."

"Maw, he's nineteen. Maybe he needs to move out for awhile…find out what it's really like out there." After Starsky left home, his mom had lavished all of her attention and love onto her younger son. Nicky had grown up pampered and spoiled. He had been the one to get into the trouble that Rachel had been so desperate to keep his older brother out of. Starsky couldn't prove it but he suspected that Nicky was skirting on the fringes of the law and headed for trouble.

"Well, I'm sure I'll be able to talk him out of it." Rachel said "He just started a new job with Uncle Joe…maybe I can get Joe to talk to him."

Starsky stayed silent. Joe Durnick had been Michael Starsky's friend even though they had operated on opposite sides of the law. Starsky and Nicky had grown up calling him Uncle Joey and he had even stepped in to help pay for Michael Starsky's headstone. Starsky also suspected that he had given Rachel the money to buy the bus ticket to send him to California but he had never asked. There were too many secrets connected with Joey's connection to the Starsky family.

"When are you coming home for a visit?" Rachel asked

"Maw, you know I can't do that right now. Besides I thought you and Nicky were coming out here when I graduate from the Academy."

"We're going to try." Rachel promised. "I just miss you and want to see you."

"I know you do, Maw. I miss you too." Starsky said. He knew it was time to bring his call to a close before Rachel started getting too emotional. He hated soapy scenes. "Look, Maw, I gotta go. I'll call you at the same time next week. I love you."

"I love you too. Don't forget to call me."

"Maw, I'm not going to forget." Starsky said with a laugh. "Bye. I love you." He hung up before his mother could start talking again and settled back down on the sofa beside his uncle. The two men exchanged an amused glance, then turned their attention to the tv in front of them.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Colby pulled up to the small house on a secluded side street and parked. Climbing out of his car, he jiggled the keys in his hand as he walked up to the front door. He unlocked it and stepped into the darkened interior. Sunlight filtered through the faded curtains on the windows. The house was sparsely furnished with worn furniture and needed some minor repairs but Colby didn't intend to be here that much longer. This was his place, his secret hideaway where he could be himself away from the prying eyes of his peers. He had rented the house using a fake id that he kept safely tucked away in a safety deposit box in a downtown bank along with several personal papers and a stash of emergency cash.

He walked into the bedroom with the mattress and boxed springs lying on the floor and quickly changed from his neatly pressed pants and polo shirt into a pair of faded jeans and a muscle shirt that showed off his physique. The weekends were his time when he was free to troll the streets and pick up an occasional hooker who didn't mind if he got a little rough sometimes.

Transferring his wallet and his keys to his jeans, he left the house and drove to the a drive thru just down the street where he stopped for a bite to eat. When he had finished, he tossed the used bag into the back seat and drove to the downtown area where he began to cruise the streets. It was still early for the hookers he preferred to be out and about but he spotted a bar just down the block. In flashing neon lights the sign read 'O'Hares'. It looked like a likely place to kill some time, so he parked his car around the corner and walked back to the bar.

Inside the lights were dim and the air was filled with smoke. A jukebox at the back of the room near the pool tables blared loudly and loud voices blurred into the background. It was similar to a hundred other small bars scattered throughout the city. Colby found an empty stool at the end of the crowded bar and sat down.

A heavy set waitress with bleached blonde hair and too much makeup strolled over to take his order. She smiled at Colby and batted her false eyelashes flirtatiously

"What can I get you, handsome?"

Ignoring her blatant attempts at seduction, Colby said "Give me a beer with a tequila chaser and keep 'em coming."

"You got it, hot cakes." She said as she walked away swinging her ample hips from side to side as if she thought she was hot stuff. Colby spun around on his stool and let his eyes sweep across the faces in the crowd. There were the usual power drinkers, hookers looking to turn a quick trick, employees getting off work who stopped for a drink on their way home, cheating spouses looking for a one night stand, underage kids with fake id's out for a cheap thrill, and probably a couple of pissed off wives or husbands looking for their cheating spouses. They were all there.

Suddenly, Colby's eyes narrowed as he spotted a familiar figure at the pool table. Starsky. Colby let a slow grin spread across his fist. This night just got a whole lot more interesting. They weren't on academy grounds and nobody knew Colby in this place. He could beat the shit out of Starsky and nobody would be the wiser. And Starsky wouldn't be stupid enough to identify him as his attacker because even if they weren't on academy property they could both still get kicked out for conduct unbecoming a potential officer of the BCPD.

Colby downed his shot in one quick swallow and then sat there sipping his beer as he watched Starsky in action. The man moved with an effortless fluid grace as he lined up his shots. And those painted on jeans he was wearing showed off his ass and the impressive bulge between his legs. Dressed like that the man should have been arrested for public indecency. Three women stood off to one side watching the game and oogling Starsky's every move.

As he leaned over to take a shot, one of the women stepped forward and boldly grabbed his ass. Starsky started and missed his shot. He straightened up turned to look at the woman with an easy smile. He leaned in and stole a quick kiss before returning his attention to his pool game. The woman giggled and returned to her friends.

When he finished his game, he hooked up with the woman who had grabbed his ass and the two of them walked over to a secluded booth in the back corner. Colby watched as the two of them began to cuddle. He finished his beer as he continued to watch the couple with interest. He had three more drinks before he saw Starsky stand up and make his way to the men's room in the back of the bar.

A satisfied smile crept over Colby's face as he stood up and made his way through the crowd after his intended victim. Starsky was standing at one of the urinals taking care of business when Colby entered the restroom. Observing the common courtesy of men's room etiquette Starsky kept his head down and didn't look up to see who had entered the room. Colby immediately took advantage of the situation with a surprise attack. He landed a solid blow to Starsky's left kidney that caused the brunet to gasp in pain and stumble backwards away from the urinal. He turned to face his assault, his hand balled into fists.

Colby smirked when he realized that Starsky hadn't had time to zip his pants. His cock was still hanging out on display. Colby noticed that Starsky didn't have to stuff his pants to give the illusion that he was bigger then he really was. He was impressed.

"Colby?" Starsky growled without relaxing from his defensive stance. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Looking at you with your dick hanging out." Colby said sneered. "You fit right in here don't you? Nothing but white trash and tramps."

"What does that say about you?" Starsky shot back. "You out slumming or looking to score?"

"Actually, I figured I'd just take the opportunity to beat the shit out of you." Colby taunted him as the two men circled each other warily.

"You think you're man enough to take me down?" Starsky taunted back "Go ahead and give it your best shot. I ain't gonna go down easy."

Colby smiled as he looked for his opening. He knew Starsky's style from watching his fights during self defense classes and that gave him an advantage over his opponent, unfortunately, it gave Starsky the same advantage over him. The two men had never fought each other in class and Colby had a few tricks up his sleeve that Starsky didn't know about. He had a feeling that Starsky had a few moves of his own that Colby hadn't seen yet.

Without warning, the two men lunged at each other and Starsky landed the first punch, catching Colby with a hard left hook. Being left handed gave Starsky the element of surprise since most of his opponents had a dominant right hand. Colby staggered back a step and countered with a wicked right cross that caught Starsky square in the jaw. The blow would have stunned a lesser man but Starsky stayed on his feet.

The two men continued to exchange blows, neither one giving an inch, until Colby saw his chance and lashed out with a vicious side kick that caught Starsky squarely in the groin. The brunet cried out in pain and fell to the floor on his right side cupping his hands around his genitals protectively. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Colby landed another vicious kick to Starsky's groin and then straddled the man. He began punching Starsky with his fists in the face and in the ribs until his nemesis finally lost consciousness. Panting heavily from the exertion Colby staggered to his feet and landed one final kick to the side of Starsky's face before turning to leave the men's room.

He casually made his way to the exit and left the bar, his heart pounding with excitement and his body flooded with adrenalin. He walked back to his car and climbed inside. Starting the engine he paused for a minute to tally his own injuries from the fight. He had some sore ribs, a bloody nose and a slight gash over his left eye. Satisfied that the only other visible sign that he had been in a fight was his scraped and bruised knuckles, he began cruising the streets until he saw a familiar face. Holly, a perky little redheaded hooker with fake boobs, that didn't mind the kinky trade or being knocked around a little if the price was right.

She smiled recognizing his car when he pulled up beside her. Without saying a word she opened the door and slid into the front seat beside him. Colby drove back to his hideaway in silence and they went inside. Three hours later he was bored with her company and sent her on her way with a fistful of money and a few more bruises to add to her collection.

Walking into the tiny bathroom, he took a quick shower and then dried off. He put some antiseptic on his knuckles and then walked back into the bedroom, throwing himself down on top of the mattress without bothering to dress. Soon he was sleeping soundly.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Ken was glad when Sunday night arrived and he had the excuse of returning to the Academy for the week. All he and Vanessa had done all weekend was fight. That was after Vanessa finally decided to come home around three in the morning. The fight had started when Ken confronted her about his parents sending her money to supposedly pay their rent.

"_Really, Kenneth…what did you expect me to do?" Vanessa had said smugly as she went into their bedroom discarding her clothes as she walked. "You never give me any money to buy anything nice. I need new clothes, my hair done, nice jewelry if I expect make it as a model."_

"_You've maxed out our credit cards, we're over ten thousand dollars in debt and you expect me to give you more money?" Ken said in a dismayed voice. "Be reasonable, Vanessa, my paycheck barely covers the necessities as it is. And I'm talking about things like the rent, the utilities and groceries…not the things you consider necessities."_

"_We don't have to live this way and you know it." Vanessa told him without raising her voice. "All you have to do is give up this ridiculous idea of being a cop and go back to medical school and your father will send us a nice fat check each month."_

"_I don't need or want his money!" Ken yelled raising his voice in anger. "And I don't want you taking it anymore either!"_

_Vanessa looked at him and smiled a brittle little smile of contempt. "I don't think so, my dear Kenneth. I intend to live my life the way I have always lived it and if you don't like it then you know where the door is."_

_Ken had spent another night on the couch and Vanessa was gone when he got up the next morning. She had stayed gone all day Saturday returning around midnight that night. She smelled of cigarette smoke, alcohol and cheap sex. Ken pretended not to notice. They spent all day Sunday either ignoring each other or snipping at each other over little things. _

Colby was already in their shared room when Ken walked in. Naturally observant, Ken noticed the cut over his eyes and the scrapped knuckles but he didn't say anything. It wasn't the first time that Colby had returned after a weekend away from the academy with a few battle scars.

"How was your weekend?" Colby drawled "The little woman still on your ass to make something out of yourself?"

"None of your business." Ken said in an annoyed voice surprising Colby with the change from his usual cool, detached attitude.

"What's the matter, Blondie? Did I hit a nerve?" Colby said with a hearty laugh. He knew Ken hated the nickname Blondie that's why he used it.

Ken ignored him as he put away his clothes. His father had passed on the blond hair and ice blue eyes that was common in all the Hutchinson offspring but Ken had also inherited his classic good looks and chiseled features from his mother's side of the family. The two separate gene pools had cursed him with a 'pretty boy' image that he had spent his life trying to live down. He could never be sure if women (and more than a few men along the way) were attracted to him because of his name, his family's money, or his good looks. Nobody had ever seemed to care about him as a person with his own set of flaws and insecurities.

"I'm going to the canteen to grab something to eat." Ken said. He didn't wait for an answer from Colby as he walked out of the room.

Since it was after seven at night, the main cafeteria was closed but the academy had a small canteen that did a thriving business selling salads, sandwiches, soft drinks, coffee and snacks in the evening. Ken ordered a salad and a glass of iced tea. After paying for his order, he turned and looked for a table.

He was startled when he saw David Starsky sitting at a table in the rear of the room by himself. It wasn't because the brunet was there at that time of night, Starsky was a notorious junk food junkie who always seemed to be eating. What startled Ken was the man's physical condition. He looked as if he had gone ten rounds with George Foreman and came out on the losing end. His bottom lip was swollen to almost twice its normal size and split open in the middle and there was a large bruise on his left cheekbone along with an impressive black eye that looked quite painful.

Ken couldn't resist the urge to walk over to Starsky's table. Although they weren't exactly friends Ken had no hard feelings towards the brunet. He actually admired him for his tenacity and his unique skills.

"Hey," he said with a warm smile. "What happened to you?"

"Got mugged." Starsky growled, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as he glared at Ken. "What's it to you?"

"Hey, back off," Ken said as he held one hand up in a gesture of surrender. "I was just asking. You look like hell."

"Yeah, well we can't all look like you. Can we, Blondie?" Starsky snapped as he shoved back his chair and rose to his feet. As he walked away Ken noticed that instead of his usual swagger, he moved with a slow, awkward gait as if there were more unseen injuries that were hidden by his clothing.

Ken sighed as he sat down at the vacated table. He didn't know Starsky that well but from what he had picked up on in class, especially in self defense, he wasn't the type of man who would let a mugger beat the shit out of him without fighting back. Ken frowned as he suddenly remembered the image of Colby's bruised and battered knuckles. He knew that Colby didn't like the brunet but surely his roommate couldn't be responsible for beating the crap out of a fellow cadet especially so viciously. And even if he had, surely he would have more injuries then he had if he had tangled with Starsky. Ken pushed the puzzle into the back of his mind as he began to eat his light meal before returning to his dorm room and turning in for the night.

As he was clearing his debris off the table, Ken noticed a folded piece of paper lying on the floor under the table. Picking it up, he opened it and saw that it was from a local hospital excusing one David Starsky from any physical activity for the three days. He winced in sympathetic pain when he saw the injuries listed included as bruised ribs, a bruised kidney and a severely bruised groin. That explained Starsky's cautious gait as he walked away from the table. Ken carefully tucked the excuse in his pocket and carried his tray over to the cart near the front of the canteen.

On his way back to his own room, he stopped by Starsky's room and knocked lightly. When nobody answered he knocked again. When there was still no answer he took the excuse out of his pocket and slipped it under the door. Satisfied that he had returned the excuse safely, he returned to his own room where he found Colby lying in bed reading a Playboy magazine.

"I saw Starsky in the canteen," Ken said in a conversational tone. "He looked like he got run over by a Mac truck."

"Yeah, I heard he got mugged over the weekend or something." Colby said "It's all over the campus grapevine."

"Yeah, it looks like somebody really did a number on him." Ken commented as he started to undress.

"Can't say that I feel sorry for him. He probably hooked up with somebody's wife or something and they didn't take too kindly too it." Colby said offhandedly. "As far as I'm concerned the cocky little bastard got what he had coming to him."

"What did he ever do to you anyway?" Ken asked as he discarded his pants and pulled on a pair of sweatpants to sleep in. "Why do you dislike him so much?"

"Because he thinks that he's such a bad ass and somebody finally showed him that he wasn't as bad as he thinks he is." Colby said in an annoyed tone. Suddenly, he grinned and turned his magazine around so that Ken could see the centerfold. "Hey, Kenny…does your old lady have a rack like that?"

Ken ignored both the nickname and Colby's crudeness as he finished getting ready for bed but in the back of his mind it was harder to ignore Colby's attitude towards Starsky. A nagging suspicion lingered that Colby might know more about what had happened to Starsky then he was letting on.

By the time the first class was over the next morning, Starsky's 'mugging' over the weekend was the talk of the entire academy. From the gossip circulating throughout the class, Ken was able to find out that Starsky had been apparently attacked in the men's room at a downtown bar. Another customer had gone to use the facilities and found the unconscious brunet lying on the floor. The police and an ambulance had been called but when Starsky woke up in the emergency room, he claimed that he hadn't gotten a good look at his attacker's face. Ken found it puzzling that Starsky hadn't been robbed but the police had assumed that maybe whoever had mugged him had gotten spooked and taken off before they could take his wallet and his watch. All in all everyone agreed that Starsky had been a very lucky man.

Their self defense instructor hadn't been very happy that his best student was temporarily waylaid by his injuries and he had lectured the class about being careful when they were away from the campus for the weekend. He also used the opportunity to review some defensive moves the cadets could use against muggers and other bad guys who were determined to do them bodily harm. Starsky accepted the good natured ribbing from his peers with a tight smile and narrowed eyes.

As they were leaving class Starsky came up to Ken and said,

"I figure you're the one who found my doctor's excuse and slid it under my door last night. Thanks."

"No problem. Take care of yourself. I hope you're feeling better soon." Ken told him with a friendly grin.

"Give me a couple of hot showers and some ice packs and I'll be good as new." Starsky said as he strolled away to join a group of his friends.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Starsky slowly eased his aching body off the bed and straightened up. It had been a week since he had been attacked by Colby. Most of his bruises were fading and he wasn't as sore and stiff but he still wasn't completely up to par.

He had caught Colby watching him that week in classes but he had ignored the other man's satisfied smirk. Starsky was a patient man and he knew that sooner or later he would square off with Colby again. And the next time he would be prepared. If Colby wanted to fight dirty then so be it. Starsky could fight down and dirty with the best of them.

Dressing quickly, he hurried to the cafeteria for breakfast before classes started for the day. He was running late as usual and most of the other cadets had already eaten. There were only a few stragglers and late risers in the cafeteria. Johnny was sitting at a table in the back and raised his hand to wave at Starsky when he saw the brunet come in.

Starsky quickly filled a tray with a plate of scrambled eggs, a side of bacon, two pieces of toast and a glass of milk. Crossing the room, he joined Johnny at his table.

"Hey, you look almost human again." Johnny teased him as he sat down.

"That depends on how you define human." Starsky said with a crooked smile that didn't hurt his mouth too much.

Johnny leaned across the table and said in a loud whisper "You didn't really get mugged, did ya?"

"No, I just got the shit beat out of me." Starsky said without answering the question directly. "Let's just say…they got lucky. It won't happen again."

"Did you get a good look at 'em?" Johnny persisted "Do you know who it was?"

"We better hurry up and eat so we can get to class." Starsky said deftly changing the subject. Both men feel silent as they began to eat their food.

It was a long, strenuous day fro Starsky. After a week of not participating in much physical, getting back into the swing of things took their toll on his weakened stamina. Still, it was not in the brunet's nature to quit so he gave it his all. But, he was still glad when the day finally came to an end.

He headed for the shower room hoping a long, leisurely shower would sooth his various aches and pains. Since most of the cadets waited until later to shower for the evening, Starsky had the locker room to himself. Starsky stripped off his clothes and padded into the shower area. Stepping underneath one of the showers, he turned on the water and adjusted it to a comfortable temperature. Stepping under the spray, he bowed his head and let the heat of the water loosen up his tight muscles. Most of his injuries no longer bothered him except for his groin which was still tender. He also was still having some mild pain when he took a leak thanks to the bruised kidney.

He stayed under the water until it ran cold and then turned off the shower. Grabbing his towel from where he had hung it, he rubbed himself briskly to dry off. He didn't realize that he was no longer alone until a familiar voice said in a mocking tone,

"Looks like you're feeling better."

Starsky straightened up, wrapping the towel snugly around his waist and stared into Colby's cold, emotionless eyes.

"Takes more than that to take me down." Starsky growled in a tight voice. "I told ya I don't go down easy."

"You sure went down hard when I kicked you in the balls." Colby sneered, leaning against the doorframe and blocking Starsky's exit from the showers.

"Yeah, but I'm still standing." Starsky shot back. "And I'm as good as new."

"And still the same cocky little son of a bitch." Colby said. His eyes narrowed as he eyed his adversary. "I told Hutchinson it wouldn't work." He smiled when he saw the surprised expression that crossed Starsky's face at his comment.

"What are you talking about?" Starsky demanded

"It was all his idea. He said somebody needed to take you down a peg or two and I just volunteered to do the honors. Pretty boy didn't want to get his hands dirty."

"You trying to say that Hutchinson isn't man enough to do his own dirty work?"

"Let's just say that he has no problem paying and paying well for somebody like me to do it for him."

"Why? I never did anything to you or to him." Starsky snapped impatiently.

"Maybe we just don't like Jews or maybe we just don't like you." Colby said as he turned and walked away.

Starsky stood there for several minutes staring at the empty doorway. While it was true that he didn't really know Hutchinson that well, the man didn't seem like the type who would be involved in something like this. But, why would Colby lie about it? What did he stand to gain by making Starsky think that Hutchinson was involved and had paid Colby to attack him?

Shaking his head, Starsky walked into the other room to get dressed. He was too tired to try and figure out what was going on in Colby's head. All he wanted to do was grab a bite to eat and get some sleep.

After getting a sandwich in the canteen, Starsky went back to his dorm room. He was the only cadet who had a room to himself since his roommate had been kicked out of the academy. He really didn't mind having the room to himself. He enjoyed the privacy at night but sometimes, especially when he couldn't sleep, it would have been nice to have someone to talk to. Thankfully that didn't happen very often. The nightmares that had plagued him since his return from Viet Nam didn't come as often as they used to.

He had a test the next morning that he knew he should study for but he also knew that he wouldn't be able to concentrate. Book learning had never been his strong point. He learned better by doing things than by reading about them. If the subject interested him then there was no problem holding his interest but so many of the classes at the academy dealt with remembering police codes and jargon which he found dry and boring.

He found himself thinking back to the paper that Hutchinson had helped him with for one of his classes. The blond had really been helpful and had even given him some pointers that had helped him take better notes to study from. He actually seemed to be pleased to be able to help Starsky. That's what made the brunet reluctant to believe the things that Colby had implied.

Starsky glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall beside his bed. Graduation was in just a little over a month. The new police rookies would then be assigned to one of the various departments in the city for their mandatory eighteen month probation period. At the end of their probation, they would be evaluated on their performance, attitude and ability to adapt to the stresses of the job before being given their permanent assignments. Starsky didn't intend to stay in uniform any longer than he had too. His goal was to make detective as soon as he was eligible and work undercover.

He knew that some people might think that was an unrealistic expectation for someone like him. His own father had been content working in uniform his entire career even if that career had been cut drastically short. But solving puzzles and figuring out how things happened had always intrigued him. He had loved to hear his father's stories about his job when he was a kid but he had always been disappointed when his father didn't always know the outcome of a particular case he had been involved in. He could remember Michael Starsky telling him more than once that solving the cases wasn't his job that was up to the detectives assigned to the case.

Starsky tried to sleep but sleep proved to be elusive so he finally crawled out of bed and left his room. Cadets weren't suppose to leave the campus after lights out but they could leave the building. There was a tiny courtyard out back where students sometimes gathered during their breaks to sneak a cigarette or get a breath of fresh air and that was where Starsky headed.

It was a warm balmy night with a full moon. The scent of the nearby ocean was strong in the air. Starsky walked over to a small stone bench sitting against the building and sat down. He dug a crumbled pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one up. Smoking was a habit that he'd picked up in Viet Nam and he had been trying to quit since he got back. He almost had it kicked but sometimes the urge was just too strong to resist. Tonight was one of those nights.

The first drag burned his lungs and made him cough but the second one went down smooth and easy. He smoked his cigarette and then crushed it out on the ground with the heel of his shoe. Maybe now he could sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

Colby smiled with satisfaction as he left the locker room. Even if Starsky didn't trust him he had at least planted the idea in the brunet's head that Hutchinson had been a part of the Colby's attack on the Starsky. It didn't really matter if Starsky believed him or not. The look on his face when Colby told him that Hutchinson had paid him to beat Starsky up had been worth it.

On his way back to his room, Colby stopped to make a phone call. When the phone was picked up at the other end of the line he said,

"This is John Colby. Tell Major Andrews that I'm still considering his offer. If he wants my services he's going to have to come up with more money. I'll give him a couple of days to think it over and then I'll call back."

He hung up abruptly and strolled own the hall to his room. Colby had plans for his future and those plans didn't include becoming a cop. Once Andrews met his price, he could ditch the academy and move on to his chosen career. In the meantime, he could pass the time finding ways to make Starsky's life miserable.

He knew that he would have to be careful and not underestimate the brunet. Starsky was hard as nails and he had the innate street smarts to ensure his own survival. He wouldn't be easy to beat in a fair fight but then Colby didn't intend to fight fair. Starsky was not a man who could be easily intimidated or broken but, as far as Colby was concerned that was the biggest challenge.

He looked around the room he shared with Hutchinson with a disgusted sneer. Not only was Hutchinson a 'pretty boy', he also had a lot of sissy qualities too that Colby couldn't stand. He liked 'artsy' things like the ballet and classical music. He ever had a plant sitting on his nightstand that he talked to for christ's sake. What kind of man talked to plants? Colby figured that the macho act was just that an act to cover up the fact that he was as queer as a three dollar bill underneath. He might be married to a real knockout but she was probably just a cover. With his family's money he probably paid her to stay with him to keep up appearances.

Colby flopped down on his bed and folded his arms beneath his head staring at the ceiling. Smiling to himself he indulged in his favorite fantasy. Someday he would have enough money that nobody could touch him. He would be feared and respected, sought out for his services and the people who hired him would pay dearly for him to do what he did best.

Colby's past was shrouded with dark secrets that nobody knew not even his family. He had been fourteen when he discovered his destiny in life. He had honed his skills learning everything he could to prepare himself for his future and now that future was almost at hand.

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. With a sigh, he got up and went to see who was intruding on his private time. He opened the door to find one of the other cadets, Steven Childs standing there. The other man smiled and said,

"Hey, John…a bunch of us are going down to Charlies for a few drinks. You wanna come?"

"Naw, not tonight. I gotta study for that test tomorrow." Colby said with an easy smile "And besides…I'm expecting a phone call from this sexy little thing I hooked up with last weekend."

"Yeah, I hear ya." Steven said with a chuckle "If you change you mind…come on down. We'll be there for a couple of hours."

"Yeah, sure." Colby said as he closed the door. The smile faded from his face as he turned away from the door. It was so easy to make people see what you wanted them to see if you just knew how to do it. And Colby has always been a master at deceiving people. It was a trait that had served him well over the years.

Bored with staying in his room, Colby slipped into the hallway and snuck down to the locker room. Each cadet had their own locker where they kept the clothes they wore for gym and track. Most of the man also kept personal items in their lockers that they didn't necessary want to keep in their rooms since the lockers were locked with combination locks.

Colby grinned as he stopped at the first locker. The same clerk that he had conned into letting him look at Hutchinson and Starsky's files had also been convinced to give him a list of the combinations for each locker. When he was bored one of his favorite pastimes was going thru the individual lockers to see what he could learn about the men the locker was assigned to. Tonight was the perfect opportunity to take a peek in Starsky and Hutchinson's lockers.

He opened Hutchinson's locker first. The first thing he noticed was that it was a mess. His gym clothes were thrown on the floor of the locker and some personal hygiene items like toothpaste, deodorant and shampoo were shoved to the back of the top shelf. An extra set of street clothing hung on one of the hooks, along with a expensive leather jacket. Not much there and certainly nothing interesting.

Colby moved on to Starsky's locker. In contrast to Hutchinsons, Starsky's locker was neat and orderly. His gym clothes were folded neatly on the top shelf and his personal hygiene items were sitting on the shelf behind them. There was a gym bag sitting on the floor of the locker with a clean pair of faded jeans and a couple of tee shirts inside along with some clean underwear and socks. Nothing much there either.

A sudden smile tugged at Colby's lips. He returned to Hutchinson's locker and took out the leather jacket. Returning to Starsky's locker, he removed the clothing from the gym bag and carefully concealed the jacket in the bottom of the bag, covering with the clothing.

Colby chuckled to himself. Let Starsky try to talk his way out of that one when Hutchinson found his expensive jacket missing. Stealing from another cadet would get Starsky kicked out of the academy even if Hutchinson refused to press charges. The brunet would be disgraced and out on his ass before he knew what hit him. And nobody would ever know that Colby had anything to do with it. Whistling under his breath, he strolled back to the dorm pleased with himself immensely. He wondered how long it would take before Hutchinson missed the jacket. Probably not until Monday at least since they didn't have any afternoon classes the next day because the instructors had a mandatory in-service.

Hutchinson came in around seven-thirty. He had been at the library studying. It helped to know his routine so well. Colby made it a point to know everyone's routine. You never knew when that kind of information might come in handy.

"So…you got any plans for the extra time off this weekend?" Colby asked as Hutchinson laid his books on the tiny desk in the corner of the room. "Maybe surprise your old lady and have a little afternoon delight?"

"Vanessa won't be home until evening." Ken said aloofly. "She's trying to start a modeling career, remember?"

"Yeah, well she's sure as hell got the face and figure for it." Colby said "I wouldn't mind seeing her as a centerfold if you know what I mean."

Ken tossed a glare over his shoulder but ignored the crude remark about his wife. But, Colby saw the redness that had crept up into the blond's fair skin. It was so easy to get the man to blush. That was why Colby enjoyed talking so crudely around him.

He picked up a playboy magazine from under his bed and deliberately opened it to the centerfold. "Ya know…this month's Miss July even looks a little like your wife. Sure she's not holding out on you?"

"Not hardly." Ken scoffed with a thin smile. "If you knew Vanessa then you would know that that's the one thing she'd never do."

"I'm pretty sure Miss April's daddy thought the same thing about his little girl." Colby shot back with a grin.

"Knock it off, Colby. I'm not in the mood." Ken said with an edge of irritation in his voice.

"Jeeze, Blondie," Colby said deliberately using the nickname that he knew Ken hated.

"Lighten up…get the cob out of your ass."

"I'm going to take shower." Ken said as he strode out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Colby laughed at Hutchinson's reaction to his taunting. Relaxing against his pillow, he continued to glance through his magazine.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

Ken rolled over in bed but couldn't go back to sleep. Finally he got up and quietly crept out of his room. It was late and the halls were empty. Ken didn't mind. Even though he was a morning person by nature he liked the quiet of the night when everyone else was asleep. He walked to a payphone in a tiny alcove at the end of the hall.

Putting some change in the slot, he dialed his home number. He knew that Vanessa would have the phone shut off. She always shut the ringer off at night so she wouldn't be disturbed by any unwanted calls but the answering machine would still pick up. The phone rang five times and then the recorded message played in his ear.

"Van? Honey…it's me. I just wanted to apologize for last weekend. Maybe we can go out for nice dinner when I come home tomrrow…anywhere you want. You pick the place. I should be home around one because we don't have any afternoon classes. I love you…I just wanted to tell you that." He hung up and walked back down the hall to his room.

He knew that his marriage was falling apart and Ken didn't know how to make it better. Quitting the academy was not an option even though it would pacify Vanessa. Somehow, he didn't think that his decision to become a cop was the only problem in his marriage. He wondered how much longer he could hold to a woman who was no longer happy being married, at least not to him. He still loved Vanessa and his marriage vows were sacred to him but he was slowly beginning to realize that she didn't feel the same way. Maybe she never really had.

Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't realize that he was alone until the other man spoke.

"Can't sleep either?

Ken started badly and spun around to find Starsky leaning in the doorway to his room looking at him with a smirk on his face.

"Don't do that!" Ken said louder then he intended to. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry." Starsky said even though he didn't look like he was sorry at all. "Can't sleep either?" he repeated.

"Just needed some fresh air." Ken said in an aloof tone as he continued on to his room and disappeared inside. Colby stirred but didn't wake up. It was just as well. Ken was in no mood to deal with Colby's sarcasm.

Ken threw himself down across the bed and let his thoughts drift. He had never had many friends, nobody that he could really call a best friend unless you counted Jack but Jack was no longer around. He had moved to Chicago to attend medical school and they had lost touch,

He had been popular enough in school but he never knew if the other kids liked him for himself or because he was a Hutchinson. He always held a part of himself back, never allowing himself to get really close to anyone. He had learned to hide his feelings, to be cold and aloof at his father's knee. He had learned to deal with the loneliness and detachment he often felt even when he was surrounded by other people. And it was different here. Here, he was even more of an outcast because of his background, his intelligence and what most of the other cadets saw as his superior attitude.

Ken smiled to himself. If only they knew. He didn't consider himself better than any of them. He could tell them just what it was like to go up in a wealthy family with parents that were too involved in their own lives to care about their son. He may have had all the advantages his father's money could buy but he never had the one thing he wanted the most. His parent's love and acceptance.

Neither of his parents had showed him much attention or affection as a child and so as an adult, Ken didn't know how to show his love or affection to anyone else, not even Vanessa, except when they were making love. Then he could let himself say the words that he couldn't say otherwise.

While he was in college, Ken had taken several psychology classes so he knew all about the dynamics of dysfunction families and displaced feelings. He had to admit that his family was a textbook case of both. Finally, after pounding his pillow into submission, Ken managed to fall into a restless slumber.

Six o'clock came much too early. Ken swatted at the alarm clock to shut off the annoying ring as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. Colby stirred and opened one eye, gazing at Ken in annoyance.

"Why do you have to get up so fucking early?" Colby grumbled "We don't have to be in our first class until nine."

"I like to run in the mornings." Ken said gruffly as he stood up. After rooming together for over six months Colby already knew that Ken ran around the academy track each morning and then took a shower before going to the cafeteria for breakfast.

"Yeah, well you could be quiet about it and let me sleep." Colby muttered as he pulled the blankets over his head.

As Ken started to leave the room, Colby tossed back the cover and said, "Now that I'm awake I might as well take a piss." Almost as an afterthought he added, "And you better watch yourself out there."

"Why? Nobody ever bothers me." Ken said with a puzzled frown wondering what Colby meant by the offhanded remark. "This is a police academy after all."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Colby said with a shrug. "I just thought I'd warn ya after what I overheard Starsky telling some of his friends yesterday."

"And just what did you hear?" Ken demanded interested in hearing what Colby had to say.

"Just that he thought you had something to do with him getting beat up and that he was going to get even one way or the other."

The answer stunned Ken momentarily, then he sputtered "That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. Why on earth would he think something like that?" He sighed heavily "I'll say something to him. I'm sure we can straighten this out."

"Yeah, sure." Colby said "Whatever…just be careful what you say. You know what a hothead he is."

Ken left the room cutting off the conversation abruptly. He was disturbed by Colby's statement. He made a mental note to try and talk to Starsky as soon as he could and straighten things out with the brunet. Why the man would even think that Ken had anything to do with what had happened to him was beyond Ken.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

Starsky left academy grounds as soon as his last class was over at noon. He was looking forward to the extra hours to enjoy on his weekend off. He tossed his gym bag in the back of his car as he climbed inside. Turning on the ignition, he squealed his tires as he pulled out of the lot. He had a date later that night with a pretty little thing he had met a couple of weeks ago. She was a stewardess and had been out of town but had left a message that she was due in for a layover starting that evening. Starsky had already called his aunt and told her not to expect him home until Sunday morning.

To kill some time until he was supposed to meet Carla he decided to drop in on an old friend he knew from high school. He went by the street name Huggy Bear and Starsky had taken a solemn oath to never tell anyone his real name. Huggy worked part time in a bar and grill owned a cousin and he lived in a tiny apartment on the third floor of the building above the bar. Starsky knew he would be home since he didn't go to work until early evening.

Pulling up in front of a rundown building on the west side of the city, Starsky locked his car and pocketed the keys. Walking around to the side of the building he entered through a partially concealed doorway and climbed the steps to the third floor. The stairway was dimly lit and smelled of urine and stale cooking odors. There was another underlying smell that hung heavily in the air, the smell of decay and neglect.

On the third floor Starsky walked down the narrow hallway until he reached a battered wooden door with a crooked number three painted on it in bright orange acrylic paint. Starsky grinned as he raised his fist and pounded loudly on the door.

"Don't get your shorts in a bunch!" An irritated voice yelled from inside the room. The door opened and a skinny black man with close cut black hair stood there glaring at Starsky. He was naked except for a pair of brightly colored boxers that were decorated with tiny hearts. "Man, what's your skinny white ass doing here this time of day?" he said with a grunt as Starsky grinned and brushed past him into the tiny room.

"Hey, is that any way to talk to an old friend?" Starsky scolded him as Huggy shut the door and turned to face his uninvited guest.

"A friend who should know better than to disturb the Bear's beauty sleep." Huggy drawled with a smirk. "You're just lucky I didn't have a little honey keeping me company or you could've knocked all day."

"Fat Mona dumped ya, huh? Starsky teased his friend with a chuckle.

"Don't even go there." Huggy warned him good naturedly. "You know that me and Mona are just friends. That big mama would make a pancake out of ole Huggy Bear."

"Why don't you cover your skinny black ass and let's go get something to eat." Starsky said

"Figures you'd be hungry. When was the last time you ate? Ten minutes ago?" Huggy sneered as he pulled on a pair of electric blue slacks, a red silk shirt and a green vest.

"More like fifteen." Starsky said with a good natured smile. He eyed Huggy's outfit with an arched brow. "You plan on wearing that or stopping traffic with it?"

"Look who's talking…where did you get those jeans? Out of the reject bin at the Good Will? You just don't know nothing about style, my white brother. You should let Huggy give you some fashion tips."

"No, thanks, Hug. I think I'll pass." Starsky said with a laugh. Teasing each other about their clothing was a running joke between them.

The two unlikely friends had met shortly after Starsky was sent to Bay City to live with his aunt and uncle. An angry rebellious teen with a chip on his shoulder, Starsky had immediately gotten into a fight with three neighborhood bullies. Afterwards, Huggy had found the brunet in a dirty alley nursing his wounds. He'd hid Starsky out at his house for two days until he was presentable enough to go back to his aunt and uncles without raising any questions. Starsky had ended up grounded for his first month in the city after that little stunt.

He had been pleased to discover that his newfound friend had attended the same neighborhood school. He was two years ahead of Starsky but that hadn't stopped him from taking the skinny Jewish kid from New York with the funny accent under his wing. He had helped Starsky to adjust to his new life in California and for a long time Huggy Bear was Starsky's only friend. Even after Starsky had filled out and became more popular with his peers he and Huggy had remained the best of friends.

When Huggy was finished dressing the two friends walked to a diner down the street to eat. The food was good and the prices were reasonable. Starsky and Huggy both ordered burgers with the works, a double order of fries, and a chocolate milkshake. That was another quirk they had in common. Both men had a high metabolism and could pretty much eat whatever they wanted without gaining weight.

"These burgers are great but yours are better," Starsky said around a bite of his sandwich.

"Just wait…someday I'm gonna have my own place and you can have all my burgers you want." Huggy said as he devoured his own food. Every since Starsky had met Huggy, the skinny black man had talked about owning his own bar and grill someday. That was why he was working for his cousin so he could get all the experience he could beforehand about managing his own business.

After eating, they returned to the building where Huggy lived and work. His cousin's bar was open so they spent the rest of the afternoon playing pool until it was time for Huggy to go to work and for Starsky to get ready for his date with Carla.

Half an hour later, Starsky met Carla at the shared apartment where she was staying during her layover. It was a common practice among stewardesses for a group of them, usually five or six, to pool their money and rent an apartment in various cities so they would have a place to stay when they were in town without paying for a motel room. With the overlapping schedules it was rare for more than two women to be using the same apartment at the same time. Luckily, Carla was the only one in residence that weekend.

Carla was a tall, statuesque burnette with shoulder length hair and big brown eyes. She had a trim figure with a medium sized bust and legs that seemed to go on forever. Starsky enjoyed dating stewardesses. They were sexually uninhibited and were more concerned with their own career than trying to snag a husband. They provided an easy outlet for sex with no strings attached.

"Hi, gorgeous." Starsky said as he wrapped his arms around the brunette and pulled her close. They shared a long, lingering kiss before leaving the apartment to catch a movie at a nearby theatre. Afterwards, they shared a pizza and then returned to Carla's apartment.

It was close to four am before they finally fell into a exhausted slumber wrapped in each other's arms.

Starsky woke up first the next day and eased himself out of bed to take care of the demands of a full bladder. When he was finished, he returned to the rumpled bed and curled up next to the naked woman beside him. Carla murmured sleepily and nuzzled the side of his neck with her lips as one hand drifted down to fondle his rapidly awakening genitals.

With a leering smile, Starsky rolled over on top of her and began mouthing her breasts, teasing her nipples with his tongue. She moaned as he let his fingers dip between her legs to rub against her warm, wet center. Starsky had always prided himself on being a considerate lover who made sure his partner was well satisfied before satisfying his own needs. It didn't take long using his talented fingers and tongue before he had Carla worked into a frenzy.

When the time was right he gently eased his thick cock into her body. He was always careful with a new lover until he was positive that she could accommodate his size. Some women were too petite and small to take his entire length at one time but Carla didn't seem to have that problem. She began thrusting her hips as they fell into a dance that was as old as time. Carla screamed out in pleasure as she climaxed. After a few more hard thrusts, Starsky felt his balls drawing in closer to his body as he reached the point of no return. With a deep moan, he spilled his seed deep inside his companion. Slowly, he rolled to one side as he waited for his heart rate and breathing to return to normal as he drifted on the aftermath of his sexual high.

"Mmmmm…" Carla said as she cuddled close. "You're insatiable. Three times last night and then again this morning…too bad you can't package all that sexual energy."

Starsky chuckled softly as he kissed the tip of her nose. "I need a shower. Care to join me?"

"You go ahead." Carla said "I'll make us some coffee."

Starsky crawled out of the warmth of the bed and returned to the bathroom. When he finished with his shower he walked back into the bedroom and picked up his gym bag lying it on the bed. Unzipping it, he pulled pout a clean pair of jeans, clean socks and underwear, and a red tee shirt. He frowned as he realized there was something else folded in the bottom of the bag. With a puzzled frown he pulled out the expensive tan leather jacket. He knew that it wasn't his and he didn't know how in the hell it had gotten into his bag. Turning the jacket over in his hands, he saw the name tag stitched into the lining. It read: _Property of K. Hutchinson._

"Hutchinson?" Starsky muttered in a surprised tone. "How the hell did it get in my bag?"

Just then Carla came back into the bedroom wrapped in a thick terrycloth robe. She admired the jacket as she held out a cup of coffee. "What a beautiful jacket."

"It's not mine." Starsky told "I…uh…have to return it to someone."

"A friend?"

"Something like that." Starsky said as he stuffed the jacket back into the bottom of his bag and tossed his dirty clothes from the day before on top of it. He took the coffee and sipped it cautiously. He made a face as he sat it down on the nightstand. It was strong and black. Starsky preferred his with lots of cream and sugar. He hoped that Carla wouldn't notice his rudeness.

"Look…I gotta take off."

"But I though we were going to spend the day together." Carla said with a pout.

"I'm sorry. I forgot about something that I have to take care of." Starsky said with a warm smile. "Rain check?"

"Well," Carla said "Said you're so good in bed…I guess I can make an exception…"

Starsky smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a scorching kiss to remember him by until she was back in town. Grabbing his gym bag, he walked out of the bedroom with his characteristic strut.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

Colby smirked as he flopped back on his bed. He had just seen Hutchinson in the Commandant's office. He wondered if it had anything to do with the missing leather jacket. Hutchinson had noticed it missing from his locket earlier that day when they had gym and had visibly upset. Once he reported the theft than the commandant would be duty bound to order an investigation to try and find the thief. With any luck, Starsky would gone by the end of the week.

He glanced up as the door opened and Hutchinson strode into the room. Colby was stunned to see the jacket in question slung over the blond's arm. He hoped that the shock didn't show on his face. In what he hoped was a casual voice, he said,

"I see you found your jacket."

"Yeah. It's the damndest thing…" Ken told him "Someone found it and turned it in the commandant. I'd still like to know how someone got it out of my locker."

"Hey, at least you got it back. Who found it anyway?"

"The commandant didn't know. He said he found it hanging on his doorknob when he came in this morning. My name's on a tag inside so that's how he knew who it belonged to."

"So, maybe somebody swiped it and then got a guilty conscience." Colby said hoping to salvage something from his thwarted plan to frame Starsky for theft.

"I'd still like to know how they got it out of my locker." Ken said with a frown. "Oh, well…at least I got it back. Van would have killed me. She bought this jacket for me."

"You know…" Colby said slowly as if the thought had just occurred to him. "I could have sworn I saw Starsky with a jacket that looked just like that a couple of days ago."

"Starsky? What would he have been doing with my jacket?"

"I don't know…I mean he probably never had anything that nice in his life. Maybe he was jealous." Colby shoved himself off the bed and walked to the door. Hopefully, he had at least planted the shadow of a doubt in Hutchinson's mind that would make him suspect Starsky. "I'm gonna hit the canteen. Wanna come?"

"No, I don't think so. I need to finish that paper for Forensics class. It's due tomorrow."

"Suit yourself." Colby said as he left the room. Seething inwardly, he walked down the hall towards the stairwell. How the hell did Starsky find the jacket and manage to get it back to Hutchinson without getting caught? The bastard wouldn't be so lucky the next time.

As Colby walked into the canteen, he spotted Starsky sitting at a table in the corner with some of his friends. The sight of the brunet made his temper rise but he carefully kept it in check. An idea began to formulate in his mind. In their self defense class that afternoon, the instructor had told them that at the end of next week there would be a competition among the cadets, one on one. Names would be called at random and the cadet called would be able to choose his opponent. If he played things right, maybe Colby could spar with Starsky and teach the little prick another lesson.

And that didn't work there was always the final competition for the cadets just before graduation where they would be separated into bad guys and good guys and have to hunt each other down. That should give Colby plenty of opportunities to get his revenge on Starsky if the brunet was still around that long.

Colby got some coffee and a bagel from the canteen. He sat at a secluded table in the rear of the room where he was partially concealed from the rest of the customers. He liked to sit in out of the way places where he could observe his surroundings without being noticed himself. It gave him the opportunity to identify traits and habits about the people around him that he storied away for future use.

He focused his attention on Starsky and his friends. Walker and Travis were mediocre students who blended into the background. Peck was more outgoing then the other two but it was obvious that they all three benefited from hanging out with David Starsky. The brunet seemed to have an annoying habit of drawing the people around him into his sphere without much effort. And most of them actually seemed to seek out and crave his friendship. That was something Colby just couldn't understand. He had always been a loner seldom seeking out or even needing a lot of friends.

"Hey, John," a voice said beside him startling him out of his thoughts and observations. He glanced up at Willie Tucker, another cadet at the academy. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure, pull up a seat." Colby said offhandedly. Tucker was the biggest gossip in their class and always a good source of information so Colby had carefully cultivated his friendship. Colby gifted the other man with one his phony smiles that made it appear that he had a genuine interest in the other man.

Tucker glanced at the table where Starsky and his friends appeared to be having an animated conversation. Unlike Colby, Tucker also appeared to like Starsky and sometimes hung around with the brunet.

"Looks like Dave's telling 'em about his weekend." Tucker said with a chuckle "He hooked up with some airline stewardess and was supposed to spend the weekend with her."

"Suppose to?" Colby asked his curiousity piqued.

"Yeah, I guess something came up and cut things a little short. I saw Dave Sunday afternoon. He said he had to drop something off that he forgot he had with him."

"He dropped something off here?" Colby asked with interest. "Wonder what it was that it was so important it couldn't wait until he came back this morning?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask. Figured it was his business. He probably borrowed a book off one of the instructors or something and forgot to return it."

"Borrowed it? Or took it without bothering to ask and didn't want anyone to know?" Colby said with a sneer. The pieces clicked together in his mind. That had to be when he had returned the jacket by hanging it on the commandant's doorknob. He must have found it by accident and knew he couldn't return it in person with having a lot of questions asked.

"Naw, Dave ain't like that." Tucker insisted "He wouldn't borrow anything from anybody without asking first. You remember three weeks ago when we got caught in that rain out on the exercise field?

"Yeah…I got soaked."

"So did Dave and he didn't have any clean clothes in his locker. Burns was out that day and left his sweats in the shower room so I told Dave to just borrow them and he wouldn't do it because Burns wasn't there to ask."

"Funny…he never struck me as the type to give a damn about something like that. I mean, hell, everybody does it once in a while." Colby said with a smirk

"Not Dave." Tucker said firmly. "I mean…it might be different if you were his best friend or something…" Tucker glanced as his watch "Shit, I gotta go. I promised my girl I'd call her before nine." He quickly gulped down the rest of his soda and jumped to his feet.

Starsky and his friends also appeared to be getting to leave. Colby contemplated what Tucker had just told him. Maybe Starsky was more complex than Colby thought. He certainly seemed to have a different set of standards for different behaviors. Colby pondered if there was a way to use that against him since it didn't look like he was going to be able to discredit him by making it look like he was a thief.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

Ken sighed as he prepared for another weekend at home. Last weekend hadn't gone as planned. Van had been gone most of the weekend on one photo shoot after another. Ken had only seen her on her way out when he got home on Friday and then again for about an hour Sunday night before he returned to the Academy. His plans for a romantic dinner for two went down the drain.

He hated to admit it but Ken was beginning to suspect that Van might be having an affair. The thought of Van being with another man tore him apart inside. Despite their fights and marital rift, Ken had never considered finding comfort in the arms of another woman. Infidelity in a serious relationship, especially a marriage, was appalling to Ken. His father had always had a mistress hidden away on the side and his mother had known about them but looked the other way. Ken had never been able to understand that concept. He knew that no relationship was ever perfect but cheating never solved anything. It just made things worse.

Ken left his dorm room and walked out of the building. He saw Starsky and Colby both leaving. He thought about his fellow cadets as he walked across the student parking lot to his car. He couldn't figure either one of them out. Colby seemed more distant than usual as if he had something else on his mind all the time and it wasn't his class work. And Starsky seemed more hyper and edgy than usual. Ken sensed that there was trouble brewing between those two that was rapidly approaching the boiling point. He knew it was none of his business but he would hate to see either one of them get kicked out this close to graduation.

Ken was looking forward to finally graduating and putting the academy behind him. He was at the top of his class and he had already been asked to speak on behalf of the class at the academy. He knew with his upper class background he would probably get assigned to some cushy precinct like Brentwood or Beverly Hills for his probationary period and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He resented being given preferential treatment just because of his families name or their money. It was a cross he had learned to bear but he still didn't like it.

He didn't want to spend his entire career investigating minor fender benders, irritate homeowners complaining about their neighbors, or upper class matrons with a healthy overdoes of paranoia. As soon as he had some say so, he planned to transfer to one of the precincts where he could really do some good instead of somewhere where he would just be a poster boy for the police department.

When he arrived at his apartment he was annoyed to discover that Vanessa was apparently hosting a dinner party. Most of them were her new friends who were connected with her fledging modeling career in one way or another and Ken didn't know any of them. He could smell the lingering aroma of marijuana in the air and felt his temper rising. Half of the guests were already on their way to getting drunk. Ken found himself wondering just how much Vanessa had spent on this little 'get together'. He suspected that she was still accepting money from his parents even though she repeatedly denied it.

Ken brushed past an intoxicated blonde who reached out and grabbed his ass as he walked past. Tossing her an aggravated glare all he got was a sloppy smile in return and a lecherous leer. He could feel the pressure building behind his eyes which signaled the onset of a migraine and began wishing that he hadn't come home.

He opened his bedroom door and stopped in his tracks. Vanessa was standing there, wrapped in the arms of a man, who was pawing her backside. In a cold, menacing voice Ken said,

"What the hell's going on here?"

"Oh, lighten up, Kenneth." Vanessa said airily as she untangled herself from the stranger's clinging embrace. "This is Roberto…my agent."

"Some agent." Kenneth muttered sullenly "He looks more like a pimp to me."

Vanessa laughed as if he had said something funny and motioned for the other man to leave them alone. As he scurried from the room, Vanessa folded her arms across her chest and glared at her husband. In a cool voice, she said "What exactly is your problem, Kenneth?"

"My problem is coming home to find my home full of strangers who are drinking and getting high and then walking in on my wife getting awfully cozy with her 'agent'."

"Kenneth, you are so provincial. Don't be such a prude. I have every right to entertain my friends when and where I choose. After all, this is my home too."

"Just how often do you 'entertain' your friends when I'm not here?" Ken snapped.

"That is none of your business. Now, I am going back out there and be a good hostess. You can stay in here and sulk or you can act like an adult and come out and join us."

"I think I'd rather sulk." Ken said as Vanessa swept out of the room. He sank down on the king sized bed and buried his face in his hands. How had it all come to this? Why hadn't he seen Vanessa for what she really was? A manipulative, spoiled, self centered Bitch who didn't care about anyone else except herself. Maybe it was time to face facts and admit that their marriage was never going to last. Hell, he should never have married her in the first place.

Ken had never told anyone that Vanessa had come to him shortly before their marriage and tearfully told him that she was pregnant. Bound by his own sense of responsibility he had immediately purposed. He loved her and had been planning to purpose eventually anyway just not so soon. A few weeks after they returned from their honeymoon, Vanessa told him that she had miscarried. Now Ken couldn't help but wonder if that was a lie. Maybe she had never been pregnant to begin. He really didn't want to believe that she would be so cold hearted as to get an abortion just to get rid of a child that she never intended to have in the first place. But, in his heart Ken knew that she was capable of such a deception.

With heavy steps, Ken went into the bathroom and pulled the prescription bottle out of the medicine cabinet that contained the pills a doctor had given him for his migraines. Sometimes they helped, sometimes they didn't. Somehow, he didn't think they would help much tonight. Dimming the lights in the bedroom, he lay down and closed his eyes, trying to relax as the pain in his head slowly intensified. It didn't help as Vanessa and her friends grew louder and louder as they got more intoxicated. Finally, Ken managed to drift into a restless sort of slumber.

When he opened his eyes sometime after midnight, the apartment was quiet. Hoping that Vanessa's friends had left, Ken shoved himself to his feet and made his way to the kitchen. The living room was empty. Everyone was gone including Vanessa. They must have decided to continue their partying somewhere else. Empty glasses, bottles and overflowing ashtrays seemed to be everywhere Ken looked. A forgotten cheese platter sat on the kitchen table. Opening the refrigerator Ken grabbed a carton of orange juice and filled a glass to quench his thirst. Grabbing a few pieces of cheese and some crackers from the platter, he nibbled on it as he walked back to the bedroom. He realized that he didn't give a damn where Vanessa was. All he wanted to do was to get some sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, sunlight was streaming through the window beside the bed. It was still quiet in the apartment and Vanessa's side of the bed was empty. Wherever she had gone with her friends, Vanessa obviously hadn't come home.

Ken carefully eased his body out of bed. The sleep had helped. The worst of his headache was gone although a dull ache remained that was annoying. He went into the bathroom to take a shower and then took another one of his pills. He changed into clean clothes and went into the living room. Ignoring the mess from the party, he decided to return to the academy early. It was better than staying here for the remainder of the weekend waiting for Vanessa to finally come home.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

Starsky slouched in his seat and listened as the instructor outlined the final exercise before graduation. It would be a two part test. The first part would consist of the cadets pairing off and fighting each other. The winner of each match would then choose the next team to go one on one. The second part of the exercise consisted of two teams of cadets, the losers of the one on one combat being labeled the bad guys, while the winners would be labeled the good guys. The two teams would essentially hunt each other down with the winner being the team that took the most prisoners by the end of the game.

The one on one combat would take place that afternoon with the second part of the exercise taking place the following day. Both sides would be equipped with guns that would fire a colored dye that would mark their prisoners, easily identifying them for the correct side. Although the cadets would be separated into two teams, each man would be on his own when it came to tracking down prisoners for their side. Starsky had participated in similar training exercises in the Army. They were designed to teach the recruits strategy and tracking techniques.

At noon the cadets were given a longer break than usual. They would meet in the gym at two that afternoon to square off in the hand to hand combat. During the break, conversation centered around the final exercise assignment and the upcoming graduation which was scheduled for that weekend. Starsky's mother, Rachel, and his younger brother, Nicky, were both flying in from New York Friday afternoon to attend the ceremony. They would be staying in Bay City for a week so they could visit with Starsky and the rest of the extended family.

Spence Webster and Collin Raye waved at Starsky as he walked into the cafeteria, motioning for him to join them at their table when he finished filling his tray. Starsky nodded to acknowledge their invitation as he joined the line of hungry cadets. After grabbing two cheeseburgers with the works, a double order of fries and a large coke, Starsky joined his friends at their table.

Spence was a redhead with pale skin and a face covered with freckles. He always had a quick easy smile and easy going manner that made him popular with most of his peers. Collin was a black man with a close cut afro and a muscular build who was constantly working out in the Academy gym to keep in shape.

"Hey, Dave…won't be long now and we'll be certified rookies." Spence said enthusiastically. "Any idea where you're gonna be stationed yet?"

"Metro I hope." Starsky replied. "That's where most of the action is."

"I'll probably end up in Watts." Collin grumbled. "Token black and all that shit."

"I don't care where I end up," Spence said "As long as I get a good training officer and not some hard nosed jerk that's just waiting for retirement who's more worried about watching his own back then watching mine."

"No matter who we get you know that they're gonna make us do all the shit work." Starsky said. "While they sit back on their ass and tell us what to do."

"Yeah, but we only have to put up with their shit for twelve months." Spence said with a grin "Then we'll be full fledged police officers and on our own."

"Than all you have to worry about is getting teamed with a good partner." Collin commented. "One you know you can trust and count on when you're out there on the streets."

"You need a good Captain too." Starsky added "One who's willing to back up his men and still let them do their thing."

"I heard that Dobey over at Metro is good." Spence said "But Iron Mike Ferguson is a really bastard to work for."

"Captain Fargo in the tenth precinct is suppose to be a good guy to work for," Collin said "So is Captain Weller in Venice."

"Personally, I hope I get to work under Dobey." Starsky said

Their conversation eventually drifted to other topics as the three friends finished their meals. After they had eaten, they joined the rest of the cadets in the gym for the combat session. The instructor picked the first two cadets to face off while the others gathered around to watch the action.

Halfway through the matches, Starsky's name was called. He hid a grim smile of satisfaction when he was paired off with Colby. Maybe he'd finally get the chance for some well deserved payback.

The two men took up their fighting stances and began to circle each other warily, looking for an opening in the other man's defenses. Starsky struck first, landing a solid punch to Colby's midsection that made him grunt in discomfort. The cadets pulled their punches but a solid blow could still wind their opponent. The intention of the exercise wasn't to disable their opponent but to demonstrate their knowledge of the moves and techniques required to control and take down an opponent without any serious injury. With his military training and a youth spent on the streets of New York, Starsky had an advantage over his fellow cadets.

Colby countered with a hip toss that landed Starsky on his back but not for long. The brunet sprang deftly to his feet, balancing on the balls of his feet as he moved with a fluid grace. The two men grabbled with each other, effectively blocking each other's moves as they each fought for the upper hand. Unseen by the instructor, Colby slammed his fist into Starsky's side directly over his bruised kidney. The move was enough to make Starsky take a staggering step backwards as pain flared in his side. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he glared at Colby. If he wanted to fight dirty, then Starsky would fight dirty, even if it got him disqualified from the contest.

Starsky swept out with his left leg and knocked Colby off balance. As Colby staggered backwards, Starsky charged with his head down and brought him to the ground. The two men rolled around on the matt, looking for any advantage to turn the fight in their favor.

The other cadets yelled encouragement to their friends, cheering on their favorite.

A knee to his already tender groin made Starsky gasp in pain. A second blow in the same spot caused him to roll to one side, curling up to protect the more sensitive part of his anatomy. Taking advantage of Starsky temporary incapacitation, Colby jumped to his feet and landed two hard kicks to the small of Starsky's back and his ribs. Starsky yelped in pain as he felt a rib give way.

"FOUL ON COLBY!" The instructor yelled "BACK OFF NOW!"

Colby did as he was ordered but not before landing two more solid kicks to Starsky's ribcage. Panting heavily from exertion, he grinned in satisfaction as he looked at Starsky who was writhing in pain at his feet.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

Colby stood rigidly at attention with his hands locked behind his back as he listened to the reprimand from the instructor for his conduct during his match with Starsky.

"Your actions were uncalled for and totally unprofessional. You're lucky that you didn't injure Cadet Starsky or you would be facing dismissal from the Academy for conduct unbecoming. For your actions, you will receive an official reprimand that will go into your permanent record and you are confined to your room until tomorrow morning when the final exercise will begin at O-nine hundred hours." The instructor looked at Colby sternly. "Dismissed, Cadet Colby."

Colby snapped a sharp salute and turned on his heel. Inside he was smiling. He knew that he had injured Starsky even if the brunet refused to acknowledge it. And he still had tomorrow to look forward too. Colby had special plans for his nemesis for their final exercise at the Academy. And if he had his way, he just might take out Hutchinson too if he got a chance.

When he got back to his room, he found his blond roommate packing his belongings. Most of the cadets would be leaving the dorms after graduation to return to their own apartments or homes.

"Can't wait to get out of this place, huh?" Colby said as he watched Hutchinson carefully fold a tee shirt before putting it in his suitcase. He would be glad to be rid of the anal retentive Minnesota native. Colby was getting bored with pretending to like him.

"What about you?" Hutchinson asked "You must be ready to get out of here too."

"I've been ready." Colby said with a chuckle.

"What'd Nolan do to you for fighting dirty in your match with Starsky?"

"An official reprimand and sent to my room for being a bad boy until tomorrow." Colby said with a sneer.

"You could have hurt him. What happened?"

"I lost my temper, okay?" Colby said nonchalantly. "Besides, the cocky little bastard had it coming for sucker punching me."

"He didn't sucker punch you until you punched him in the side." Hutchinson said drolly. He shot his roommate a wary glance. "And I saw you knee him in the groin…twice."

Colby shrugged his shoulders and flopped down on his bed. Let the self righteous bastard defend Starsky. Colby would be rid of both of them soon enough. He watched with hooded eyes as Hutchinson finished his packing and then left the room.

Colby folded his arms behind his head and made his plans for the next day. He smiled when he thought about the small caliber gun he had carefully hidden in his closet. It was small enough to easily conceal on his person without being detected but it could still do significant damage. During the exercise tomorrow, David Starsky would have an unfortunate and fatal accident.

Starsky wouldn't be the first acquaintance of Colby's to meet with an unfortunate accident and he probably wouldn't be the last. It was so easy to kill and make it look like an accident as long as you planned everything carefully in advance and didn't take any reckless or unnecessary chances. There were at least four murders in Colby's past conveniently concealed as tragic accidents. He had only been fifteen when he arranged his first 'accident'. It had been a girl who had broken up with him who had supposedly killed herself by overdosing on sleeping pills. Nobody had ever suspected Colby of having anything to do with her untimely death. He still cherished fond memories of his first 'kill'.

Maybe he could even arrange it so that Hutchinson would be blamed for Starsky's demise. That would be poetic justice in Colby's eyes. All it would take was some luck and the right set of circumstances. Pushing himself to his feet, Colby walked over to Hutchinson's side of the room and opened the suitcase lying on the bed. Rummaging through the contents, he slipped a delicate gold chain with a moon and stars pendent hanging on it into his pocket. All he had to do was leave the necklace clutched in Starsky's hand to raise the right questions and cast suspicion on Hutchinson for Starsky's death.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

Ken stood with the rest of his team and listened to the instructor's final instructions. As the winner of his fight, Ken was on the 'good guys' team along with Colby. Privately, he felt that Colby should have been forced to forfeit the fight with Starsky and Starsky declared the winner by default. Too many strange things had happened in the past few weeks that seemed to be centered around Colby and his actions. Ken found himself increasingly suspicious of Colby's motives and personal agenda. It was clear that he had it in for Starsky and was determined to take the brunet down.

Per the rules set aside for the exercise, each cadet would go into the forest alone with the bad guys going first. Fifteen minutes later, they would be followed by the good guys and the game would begin. Each individual cadet would hunt down as many of their fellow cadets as possible, scoring points for each cadet that was shot with one side or the others color. At the end of the afternoon, the points would be added up to determine the winning team. Once a cadet was 'tagged' by another cadet, he was out of the game and had to return to the main camp.

As the 'bad guys' moved out, Ken noticed Colby watching Starsky closely, tracking the direction that the brunet was taking into the woods. It was apparent to Ken that Colby was going to target Starsky for one of his captures. An uneasy feeling deep inside his gut made Ken decide that he would follow Colby at a safe distance to make sure that he didn't try to sabotage Starsky or hurt him in some way. The wooded area they were using for the exercise was large enough that any immediate danger would not be detected by the other cadets who were busy with their own hunt. With deep ravines and hidden pitfalls throughout the area, it would be far too easy for a 'careless' cadet to have an accident.

As the 'good guys' moved out, Ken hung hehind until the others had left the immediate area, then he headed in the same direction Colby and Starsky had taken. As he moved into the cool shadows of the thick foliage, he used his other senses to detect any unusual activity in the woods ahead of him. After fifteen minutes of following the partially concealed path, he caught a glimpse of Colby about two hundred yards ahead of him. Ken stayed back so his presence wouldn't be detected by the other cadet.

Suddenly, Colby disappeared from sight. Ken picked up his pace and found himself exiting the woods into a small clearing. Up ahead, Starsky was standing poised at the edge of a steep ravine and Colby was facing him with a leer on his face. In his hand Colby held a small automatic aimed directly at the brunet.

"What are you gonna do with that, John?" Starsky said in a mocking tone "Shoot me?"

"That's exactly what I intend to do." Colby shot back in a heated voice. "And when they find your body…I'll be the last person they suspect."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you." Starsky growled "Everybody knows that you've had it in for me since day one."

"Maybe they do…but I have a few tricks up my sleeve that will throw them off my trail." Colby grinned as he cocked the gun and began to pull the tripper.

Without any hesitation, Ken charged forward, tackling Colby around the waist and knocking him to the ground just as the gun fired. He heard a sharp cry from Starsky and then an unsettling silence as Ken drew back his fist and slammed it into Colby's jaw. The blow was hard enough to knock Colby out, at least temporarily. Wrenching the gun from Colby's hand, Ken tossed it to one side and then bounced to his feet to check on Starsky. The brunet was nowhere in sight.

Alarmed, Ken ran in the direction he had last seen Starsky, skidding to an abrupt halt just in time to avoid falling into a hidden ravine. He could see Starsky's body lying on the jagged rocks at the bottom of the ravine. The back of Starsky's shirt was stained with blood and he wasn't moving. Ken scrambled down the steep incline until he reached Starsky's prone body.

A quick examination assured Ken that Starsky was still alive but seriously injured. The bullet had hit him in the upper back on the left hand side. There was no sign of an exit wound which meant that the bullet must still be in Starsky's body. Ken knew that Starsky shouldn't be moved but Colby still posed a threat to both of them. He wouldn't stay unconscious forever and if he found the gun he would probably kill them both and hide their bodies in the woods.

Gently, Ken eased Starsky over onto his back and lightly slapped his face. "Starsky? Hey, Starsky." He said "Come on, buddy…wake up for me. We have to get out of here and find some help."

Starsky moaned softly and those impossibly thick dark lashes fluttered. He opened his eyes just far enough for Ken to see a sliver of sapphire blue and then closed them again.

"Hey, come on! Stay awake!" Ken said insistently, patting his cheek again. "We have to get out of here. Colby's gone nuts!"

Starsky's eyes fluttered again and opened. This time they stayed open and he looked at Ken with a confused, pain filled gaze. His face twisted in pain as he became more alert. Instinctively he clutched at Ken's arms tightly as he tried to ride out the pain that threatened to overwhelm him.

"Can you stand up?" Ken asked anxiously, glancing up at the top of the ravine. He kept expecting Colby to appear at any second and start shooting at them both. In their present position, they would be sitting ducks. "Can you stand up?" Ken repeated in a worried voice.

"I think so…" Starsky mumbled. Holding securely to Hutch's arms for suppor he let the blond help him to his feet. Starsky gasped in pain and leaned heavily against Ken fighting the dizziness that threatened to send him back to his knees. "Where's Colby?" Starsky gasped "That son of a bitch shot me!"

"I know. I tried to stop him but couldn't get to him before he pulled the trigger." Ken said "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. You didn't shoot me." Starsky mumbled as he took a stumbling step forward. "You probably kept him from killing me. I owe you for that."

"We have to get out of here and stay out of Colby's sight until we can get you some help." Ken said as he slowly guided the injured brunet over the jagged rocks and exposed roots. He knew they had to get out of sight as quickly as possible. They were too vulnerable out in the open.

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Starsky slurred "I hope you got a plan, Blondie…cause right now I don't think I'm gonna be much help."

"Just put one foot in front of the other until I find someplace where we can get out of sight for now." Ken said in what he hoped was an encouraging voice.

Starsky leaned against Ken as they slowly made their way down the rugged ravine. From previous experience, Starsky knew that he was seriously injured and if he didn't get to a doctor soon he could easily go into shock and die from his wound. The pain from the gunshot wound in his back combined with the rib that Colby had broken in their fight the day before made it difficult to breathe and Starsky could feel himself growing weaker from blood loss. He knew he would never be able to make it very far in his present condition. He would have to put his trust in Hutchinson to get them out of this mess alive and trusting anyone else but himself was hard for Starsky to do.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

A short distance away the ravine forked and Ken took the fork to the left. A short distance down the fork, he found a path that led out of the ravine and into the woods, giving them some cover. Starsky was staggering along beside him, almost entirely dead weight at Ken's side. He would have fallen more than once if it hadn't been for Ken's supporting arm.

Even with just a few months of pre-med under his belt, Ken knew that Starsky needed immediate medical care. The wound in Starsky's back was still bleeding, soaking through his shirt, warm and wet against Ken's arm. Ken could feel the trembling of the brunet's body as they walked and he knew that Starsky needed to rest. Leaving Starsky behind while he went for help was not a viable option that Ken was willing to consider.

Ken saw a strand of heavy brush and headed for it. It may not be an ideal hiding place but it would have to do for now. With some effort he managed to get the two of them into the cover of the brush and gently settled Starsky down on the ground. Starsky sighed in obvious relief and closed his eyes. His face was strained with pain and a light sheen of sweat covered his face.

"If we can stay out of sight somebody will miss us when we don't come back to camp." Ken told him "And they'll come looking for us."

"As long as Colby doesn't find us first…" Starsky said in a quiet, strained voice. He sounded weak and tired, the effort of staying awake starting to take it's toll.

"You try to get some rest. I'll keep an eye out for Colby." Ken said as he settled down beside Starsky. He reached out and absently brushed an unruly curl back from the olive toned forehead. He watched with a faint smile on his lips as Starsky's eyes drifted shut and he drifted into a light slumber.

The responsible for protecting Starsky and keeping him alive until someone found them weighed heavily on Ken's shoulders. He kicked himself mentally for not realizing before now how dangerous and unstable Colby was. If Starsky didn't make it out of this alive, Ken would forever have his blood on his hands.

Ken knew that they were approximately five or six miles from the main camp. If they weren't back by dark than surely the officers in charge would send out search parties to look for them. But it was still hours until darkness fell and in the meantime, Colby was still out there somewhere and looking for both of them. Ken decided that he didn't like the idea of being someone else's prey.

If Colby found them and killed them, Ken found himself wondering if John would be bold enough to return to camp and pretend not to know what had happened to them. Somehow, Ken knew that Colby was arrogant enough to pull it off. That alone made him a dangerous and deadly adversary. How could he have fooled so many people for so long and hidden this side of his nature so effectively? Ken knew that he may never know the answers to the questions running through his mind. At the moment, their immediate survival was Ken's top priority.

Starsky moved restlessly in his sleep, moaning softly. Ken immediately turned his attention back to his injured comrade. He noted the pale complexion and the heat he could feel coming off the brunet's skin. He had made a makeshift bandage for the wound in Starsky's back and the bleeding seemed to have stopped but it was obvious that Starsky's condition was worsening rapidly.

"Shhh…I'm right here." Ken crooned softly hoping that the sound of his voice would soothe the restless brunet. Through a tiny spot in the thick foliage that hid them from view, Ken had a clear view of the clearing. He tensed up when he saw Colby lurking at the edge of the ravine.

When Starsky groaned softly, Ken quickly clamped a hand over Starsky's mouth to keep him quiet. Ken hated to do it but he couldn't risk having Starsky give away their position in his confused and delirious state. Ken held his breath as Colby came closer to their hidden refuge.

"Come on, Ken! You and Starsky might as well come out. I'm going to find you eventually. You can't hide from me forever!" Colby stopped and listened for several seconds as if he really expected them to answer. "Come on, Blondie…I know Starsky's hit. If you don't get him to a doctor he's gonna die and it will be all your fault…not mine. Why don't you come on out? I promise I'll make it quick. He won't suffer and neither will you."

Ken held his tongue and his temper. He was tempted to answer back just to vent his own outrage at what Colby had done but he knew that would suicide. His only hope was to remain silent and hope that Colby moved on. His attention was drawn back to Starsky when the brunet began to struggle against the press of Hutch's hand over his mouth.

Leaning down close so that he was speaking directly into a curl covered ear, Ken hissed "Shhhh…you have to be quiet. Colby's close…he'll hear you and then we're both dead men." Even in his semi-conscious state, Ken's words seemed to penetrate the fog in Starsky's brain and he immediately quieted down.

As Colby moved off towards the west, Ken let out the breath he hadn't even been aware he was holding. Cautiously, he removed his hand from Starsky's mouth. He was startled badly when Starsky spoke without opening his eyes.

"Is he gone?"

"Yeah…for now." Ken told him "I thought you were asleep."

"I was…" Starsky said quietly, his voice barely audible. "Till you tried to suffocate me with that big paw of yours."

"I wasn't trying to suffocate you!" Ken declared defensively stopping when he saw the ghost of a smile tugging at Starsky's lips. He softened his voice and said, "How you doing?"

"I've been better…I am so going to kick that prick's ass if we make it out of this alive." Starsky complained. "You come up with a plan to get us out of here yet?"

"I don't think there's much we can do but wait for the others to start searching for us." Ken told him "You're in no condition to go traipsing through the woods and Colby's still out there somewhere…a little too close for comfort if you know what I mean."

"It hurts…" Starsky whimpered in a pain filled voice that tore at Ken's sensitive heart.

"I know, buddy…I know." Ken said sliding closer and gently pulling Starsky's upper body into his lap. The smaller man relaxed in his embrace and nestled closer seemingly content to let Ken take control and trusting him to protect him until help arrived. Ken had never had anyone put such faith and trust in him before and the feeling was overwhelming. Once they made it out of this he planned on getting to know Starsky better without Colby's deceptive interference.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16**

Ken was startled awake by the sound of voices shouting in the distance. He couldn't believe that he had dozed off with Colby wandering around out there with a gun. As he opened his eyes he noticed that dusk had fallen and it was finally getting dark. As he had predicted search parties had been dispatched to look for them when they didn't return on time from the exercise. Unwilling to risk calling out just yet, Ken waited until the voices were much closer before disclosing their hidden location.

"OVER HERE!" He yelled. "I NEED A MEDIC! STARSKY'S HURT!"

Seconds later, Sergeant Burnett and Sergeant Pebbles, two of the instructors from the academy, pushed their way through the brush to where Starsky and Ken were hidden. Burnett quickly examined Starsky to evaluate his condition, then turned to Ken with a glower.

"What the hell happened to this man? How did he get shot? Nobody was suppose to have any live amo!" he demanded harshly.

"Colby did." Ken snapped back too tired and irritated to be polite and respectful. "He shot Starsky and would have killed us both if he could have found us."

"Colby?" Pebbles exclaimed in a surprised voice "Why the hell would he do something like that?"

"How the hell should I know?" Ken barked "Maybe because he's a psycho! And he's still out there somewhere…and he's armed!"

"I'll take care of it," Pebbles said hastily as he started to back out of the brush.

"Get a medic here right now." Burnett barked "This man needs immediate medical attention or we're going to lose him!"

"Is he going to be okay?" Ken asked in a worried voice noting the raspy sound of Starsky's labored breathing.

"We'll do everything we can, son." Burnett said in a comforting voice. He knew that the cadets would harden over the years as they spent more time on the streets and saw the seamier side of life day after day, but for now most of them were still innocents when it came to the violence in human nature.

There was a sudden flurry of activity as the medic arrived along with reinforcements to help move Starsky back to camp where he could be transported to the closest hospital for emergency treatment. Ken stayed close to Starsky's side; reluctant to let him out of his sight after all they had been through together in the past few hours. Nobody argued when Ken climbed into the back of the ambulance that had been standing by as a precaution during the training exercise.

Ken sat to one side and watched as the medic feverishly worked over Starsky's unconscious body during the trip to the hospital. Pieces of their communication with the dispatcher drifted to Ken's ears. "Blood pressure bottoming out…respirations slow and labored…significant blood loss…possible collapsed lung on left side…two broken ribs on left side and significant bruising on torso…"

Ken flinched at those last words. It was obvious that Colby had injured Starsky during their fight the day before but the stubborn brunet had refused to tell anyone. Ken knew that his own awkward moving of Starsky when he was injured had helped to compromise Starsky's already unstable condition.

At the hospital, Ken was shuffled aside to a waiting area while Starsky was rushed into an examining room. All Ken could do was wait, worry and pray to a God that he was no longer sure even existed. He stared at the bloodstains on his hands, Starsky's blood that had seeped into the crevices of his skin. He wondered if he would ever be able to wash it away completely or if it would always be there at least in his mind.

Six long hours passed before a doctor dressed in a blood stained smock approached Ken cautiously and said,

"Are you here with Mr. Starsky?" 

"Yes." Ken said hastily "How is he?"

"He should be fine as long as he takes it easy for a few weeks. He's a very lucky young man. He lost a lot of blood but the bullet missed all of his vital organs. A few inches in either direction and it would have been a different story entirely."

"Can I see him?"

"Why don't you go home and get some sleep? You look like you could use it. He's heavily sedated and probably won't wake up until morning."

"Okay." Ken said in a dejected voice, disappointed at not being able to see for himself that Starsky was really okay. He had to admit that he was exhausted and some sleep did sound good. Stiffly Ken rose to his feet and slowly made his way down the hallway towards the exit. Back at the Academy, he took a quick shower and crawled into bed without bothering to dress.

Early the next morning, he was up and finishing his packing. Later that morning, the commandant called a special assembly in the gym where he announced that because of what had happened the day before the graduation ceremony was being postponed for a week so that Starsky would be able to attend the service. He also made an official announcement that Colby's whereabouts were unknown and that he was officially expelled from the Academy and banned from Academy grounds. Charges had been filed against him for attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed, unlicensed gun.

Ken was glad Colby was gone and he hoped that would be last any of them saw of John Colby. The entire graduating class had been stunned by the events surrounding Starsky's shooting and his previous injuries at Colby's hands. Each faction seemed to take a side either against Ken because of his association with Colby as his roommate or for Ken because of the way he had helped Starsky and essentially saved the popular cadet's life.

As the cadets began to talk among themselves, more facts came to light about Colby's deceptions, his lies and his snooping around in the cadets' private files. The clerk in the office who had given him access to private records and files was immediately fired from her position and was facing possible charges of her own for helping him.

None of that mattered to Ken. All he wanted to do was go back to the hospital to check on Starsky's condition. He left the Academy grounds as soon as he could and drove to the hospital where he found Starsky groggy but awake and fairly alert.

"Hey," Ken said with a friendly smile as he walked into the semi-private room. Starsky's left shoulder was heavily bandaged and his arm was strapped across his chest to keep him from moving it. He was still rather pale but looked better than he did the last time Ken had seen him. "How ya doing?"

"I won't be running any marathons anytime soon but the doc says I should only be stuck here for a couple of days." Starsky said, wincing as he carefully shifted his position in the bed.

"The Commandant postponed Graduation for a week so that you could be there." Ken told him. "And Colby's disappeared into the woodwork for now."

"He'll surface again someday. Rats like him always do." Starsky said glumly. Suddenly a cloud passed over that expressive face. "Damn! My mom and kid brother are flying in tomorrow. Ma's gonna freak when she finds out what happened. She wasn't happy about me going to the Academy in the first place. This sure isn't going to make her worry about me any less."

"You don't have to tell her everything that happened." Ken told him "Just the highlights."

"You don't know my Ma. She can always tell when I'm not telling her everything." Starsky grumbled. "She'll drag it out of me even if it takes all week for her to do it."

His mood turned serious as he looked at Ken with a fierce intensity. "I owe you, pal. Big time. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

"Hey, you would have done the same thing for me." Ken said with a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

"Fate, huh?" Starsky said with a crooked grin. "Maybe somebody is trying to tell us something…like maybe we're supposed to be friends or some shit like that."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Ken said with a warm smile. "You sure you trust me after what happened with Colby? I mean…he was my roommate and all…"

"Wasn't your fault he was a nutcase. You sure as hell didn't pull the trigger." Starsky said with a shrug of his shoulders that he immediately regretted. At his grimace of pain, Ken automatically reached out to comfort him.

"Hey, take it easy. Remember you're not ready for much action for a while."

"Yeah, I remember now." Starsky said with a chuckle. He looked back at the big blond at his bedside and grinned. "So, Hutch…tell me all about yourself."

THE END AND THE BEGINNING


End file.
